Until 1854, the year in which Barcelona finally broke through its city walls, the city extended no further than the hexagon of the 15th century enclosure. Today, the streets bordering the Casc Antic (historic centre) are: Ronda de Sant Pau, Ronda de Sant Antoni, Ronda d’Universitat, Ronda de Sant Pere, Passeig de Lluís Companys, Avinguda Marquès de l’Argentera, Passeig Colom and Avinguda del Paral.lel. There used to be only one wide street at the heart of the city, La Rambla, an old stream whose name, according to popular belief, derives from the Arabic ramla, meaning “sandy ground”.
Until the beginning of the 18th century, the Rambla was merely a path beside a stream running between convents on one side and the old city walls on the other. It was in 1704 that the first houses were built on the site of the old city walls, the area where the Boqueria market now stands, and the first trees were planted. In 1775 the old city walls by the Drassanes, or medieval shipyards, were demolished and a few years later a road was laid turning that part of the Rambla into a tree-lined avenue.
From the upper end, which runs into Plaça de Catalunya, to the lower end below the Columbus monument, this unique street in fact bears five names, each describing a section of the street. First, there is the Rambla de Canaletes, because of the Font de les Canaletes fountain, found there since ancient times: folk tradition has it that anyone who drinks from this fountain will keep returning to Barcelona.
The next section of the Rambla is known as the Rambla dels Estudis, after the mid-15th century building of that name, the Estudi General or University. The university was suppressed by Philip V and the building used as a barracks. In 1843 it was demolished. Continuing down towards the sea you come to the stretch known as the Rambla de les Flors, the only place in 19th-century Barcelona where flowers were sold and which even today preserves its old special charm. It was also known as Rambla de Sant Josep in the past after the convent of the same name. Next comes the Rambla del Centre, also known as the Rambla dels Caputxins, because of the Capuchin convent that used to be there. Finally, there is the stretch called the Rambla de Santa Mònica, giving access to the port, called after the parish church there, previously a convent of the Discalced (barefoot) Augustinians.
T. +34 933 249 180
F. +34 933 249 185
Consult here how to arrive
