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El Born Review

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El Born

Address: Born-Ribera, Barcelona, Catalonia
Phone: 93/315-1111 Museu de Historia de la Ciutat

Category: Squares
Location: Ciutat Vella (Old City)

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Fodor's Review:

Once the site of medieval jousts, the Passeig del Born is at the end of Carrer Montcada behind the church of Santa Maria del Mar. The numbered cannonballs under the benches are in memory of the 1714 siege of Barcelona that concluded the 14-year War of the Spanish Succession. The Bourbon forces obliged local residents to tear down more than 900 of their own houses, about a fifth of the city at that time, to create an open no-man's land for the fortress built for the occupying army of the great villain of Barcelona history: Felipe V, grandson of Louis XIV. Walk down to the Born itself—a great iron hangar designed by Josep Fontseré in 1876. It was modeled after Les Halles, which used to be Paris's beloved mid-city produce market. Renovation of El Born uncovered the perfectly preserved lost city of 1714, complete with blackened fireplaces, taverns, wells, and the canal that brought water into the city. Sand dunes visible in the cellars attest to La Ribera's early position on the Barcelona waterfront before landfill created Barceloneta and the present harbor. Pending development of a history walk through the streets and houses, the Museu de Història de la Ciutat offers free visits overlooking the ruins of the 14th- to 18th-century Barri de la Ribera weekends 10-3.