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 Barcelona
- Sant Gervasi And The Residential Area Of The City
Towards the beginning of the 1930´s and in particular after 1940, the upper
classes slowly began moving out of the area of El Ensanche and having houses
built in the upper districts of the city on the Western side. One of the first
districts they moved to was Sant Gervasi, situated between Gracia and Turo Park.
The main street in this district is Muntaner street and it runs from the Diagonal
to the Plaça de la Bonanova. It is here that we find some of the Best
shops, especially fashion shops, in the city, as well as bars, restaurants,
company offices and fine buildings from times gone by. Next to the uppermost
section
of this street stands Monterols Park which connects Muntaner Street to Balmes
Street.
This street also has many good quality shops and, here, too, there is a small
park at the top of Putxet Hill. It was here that the people of Barcelona built
their holiday homes at the beginning of the century. At the end of Balmes street
there is the Passeig de Sant Gervasi which runs around the foot of Mount Tibidabo,
past large mansions and gardens as far as the Plaça de la Bonanova.
Sant Gervasi also has another large street, known as the Via Augusta, which
winds its way from the Diagonal to Sarria. It is another street that is important
because of its shops and businesses. The same can be said of the Diagonal itself,
especially in the lower part, where it runs into the Plaça de Francesc
Macia. The cream of Barcelona society can be found in the many bars hereabouts.
The city's residential area stretches out to the West of Sant Gervasi to the
area around Turó Park, La Bonanove, Sarriá and Pedralbes. To
the south runs the Diagonal, and to the North the Passeig de La Bonanova and
the Passeig de la Reina Elisenda. This is the cleanest area of Barcelona since
there are no factories to pollute the air, and consequently has become the
area preferred by the old and new Bourgeoisie. Here we can still find some
older parts, such as Sarria, which still has its typical square, small streets
with low houses and even some with gardens, as well its other small squares.
Nevertheless, most of this area has been recently built by the main architects
of the last forty years, including Coderch de Sentmenat, Oriol Bohigas, Mitjans,
Ricard Bofill and A.Bonet. In many cases, the block of luxury flats are separated
by gardens and are located in tree-lined avenues that are more or less tranquil.
A visit should be made, for example, to the streets in the district of La
Bonanova (which lies above the avenue of the same name), those in Sarria, the
ones in the area of Turo Park and, above all, those streets in Pedralbes. From
the Plaça de Frances Macia, and continuing along the Diagonal, we pass
the University where a visit could, perhaps, be made to the School of Architecture.
The extension to this building was the work of Coderch de Sentmenat, the Best
Catalan architect of late. To the right stands the Royal Palace of Pedralbes
with its sumptuous halls, 18C wall paintings and an important art collection.
Almost opposite is the home of Barcelona Football Club (Popularly known as "el
Barça") with its Camp Nou stadium.
In the Avinguda de Pedralbes can be seen, to the left, the Güell Estate
with its wall, gates and two pavilions by Gaudí, and on the right hand
side there is an important tennis club. At the end of this avenue stands the
14C Monastery of Pedralbes. With its church, convent, beautiful cloister, paintings
by Ferrer Bassa in the Chapel of Sant Miquel, and gardens, this is perhaps
one of the finest monuments in the city. Those areas that were not developed
in their day are being done so now in an attempt to create new parks, avenues
and buildings of the first order.
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