El Born (La Ribera Quarter)

El Born also known as La Ribera Quarter was home to the guilds of the late 12th, 13th, and 14th centuries in Barcelona.  El Born was the neighborhood of the working class people of Barcelona and was not a very desirable area to live in aside from one key factor.  This neighborhood held a lot of pride and the people of El Born were people that were more focused on being good, proud, hard working people.  This mind set was different then the upper class neighborhoods that focused on flaunting their wealth.  Many buildings in El Born portray this idealistic way of life that focuses more on the quality of life then the quantity.  Within El born many streets can still be found that were specifically named in regards to the craft trade/guilds of that street or the public purpose of the street.  These streets often possesed masonry depictions of both craft trades and saints.  

Santa Catarius Semuletas was home of the couscous sellers, carrer dels banys vells was the street of the fountain for bathing (the baths), carrer de la Princesa was the street in which the princess of the 13th and 14th century was shuttled in and out of the city on, she was also showcased to the citizens of Barcelona on this street.  Some other streets in El Born very specific to the guilds are the Carrer de les Semoleres, carrer dels Cotoners (cotton), and carrer de les Candeles (home to the candle makers). One of the more important areas in El Born was Placa de la Llana.  This was where the wool market was located and people would come from all over to buy, sell, and trade wool.  

During these times wool was a very popular material that could be used for multiple purposes.  As you can see many different traits where abundant in La Ribera quarter and although it was not common for families to live in this area it was home of many different types of workshops that housed both Mestre and apprentices.  La casa-taller was used primarily as a workshop however it could be compared to a trade school in todays culture.  Families would attempt to have their children accepted by the most skilled craftsman of their trades.  If accepted by the Mestre the child would then move into La case-taller where they would live, work, and learn under the supervision and teaching of el mestre.  If your child was accepted by one of the more skilled Mestre's of each specific trait this was considered a great honor and blessing.  It could be compared to being accepted to a school like Harvard or Yale in todays American society.  

 

La case-teller's were often constructed with an open air front door at the bottom that would only be closed at night or when the workshop was closed.  This bottom floor is where the work was done and at times products would be sold, however most products were sold or traded at larger markets. Often these open door frames consisted of a wooden beam across the top like the one depicted in the picture below.  This wooden beam was to serve as a support beam for the door frame.  Aside from having the workshop on the bottom floor it was also common for the case-taller's to have a backyard.  On the next floor one could find the living space designated to the mestre/principal/owner and on the top floor the students and or servants.  Because this area was a poorer neighborhood until after the olympics in 1992 many of the buildings in this area are constructed using wooden beams and wooden ceilings.  Many of this area was abandon, especially after the guilds began to grow less and less popular.  Although many of these buildings where originally constructed using wooden framing one could easily distinguish rich guild workshops from the use of stone frames on their door ways.  After the 1992 olympics began to bring more interest to the El Born neighborhood buildings began adding two or more floors to the original structures.  Similar to the buildings in the Jewish Quarter and old Barcino the house owner typically lived on the first floor and had a large window and the higher up the building you went the smaller and smaller the windows got, in a way the size of your window resembled your status in the house.  The principals or owners with the largest and closest to the ground and the slaves with the smallest and highest up living quarters.  

One can find five very culturally relative areas in the El Born neighborhood.  The first of these is Santa Maria del Mar.  This was a church that was built by the working class people for the working class people.  Like many people of Catalunya today this church was built with the belief and idea that wealth was not viewed or flaunted.  This church was built and payed for by the working class so it held a lot more value on pride then gaudiness. It was very different then many of the bedazzled churches of the upper class of this time era.  Although it was not bedazzled in jewels families would place ceramic pieces that resembled their craft or family members within the masonry work of the church.  The working class was able to construct this church in 15 years, another feat that the upper class was not able to do.  It was a church of worship and pride not flash and fame.

 Another culturally relative area was El Mercat del Born.  This was where many different craftsman would come from both El Born area and other areas of Spain to trade, buy, and sell their products and materials.  This Mercat is still present today and can be found hosting events such as young castelleres performances and much more. It is also a functioning Market with fresh fruits and meats as well as restaurants.  

Another very culturally relative area in the El Born neighborhood is El Fossa de les Moreres.  With a flame that never goes out in honor of the deceased this area serves as a memorial for the thousands of people that died during the battle of September 11.

The final important landscape in this neighborhood is La ciutadella park.  This park became the fortress of Phillip V by 1714 and is still very popular today.  One can find many different types of festivities and people enjoying their time in this park today.  It begins right next to La Llotja and goes all the way up to Arc de Triumph with a very breathtaking fountain that is centrally placed in the park.  Another very important landmark in this area is el Consolat de Mar, also known as La Llotja.  This area was very prevalent during Barcelona's growth as a major Mediterranean city.  It served as the financial street of its time and still serves such purpose.  It was created as the stock market and was strategically placed near the ocean so that import and export business and trade could be easily accessible to those coming into Barcelona.