La Barceloneta

La Barceloneta () is a neighborhood in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The neighborhood was constructed during the 18th century for the residents of the Ribera neighborhood who had been displaced by the construction of the Ciutadella of Barcelona. The neighborhood is roughly triangular, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, the ''Moll d'Espanya'' of Port Vell, and the El Born neighborhood. This neighborhood has its own flag, and is serviced by its own stop on the Barcelona Metro line 4. This is a good starting point for whatever itinerary there may be to adventure through La Barceloneta. The yellow line, L4, which is the metro line that stops at La Barceloneta, is the most popular for pickpocketing. The neighborhood can also be discovered by taking Las Gorondrinas, which leave from the front port of the Columbus monument. This way the marine strip can be discovered, but the real charm of this neighborhood is by getting lost in the side streets or alleyways. Torre Sant Sebastià is the terminus of the Port Vell Aerial Tramway; opened in 1931, it connects La Barceloneta with Montjuïc across Port Vell.

La Barceloneta is known for its sandy beach (which made an appearance in '' Don Quixote'', book 2) and its many restaurants and nightclubs along the boardwalk. Over the past several years the quality of the sand on the beach has become a source of continued controversy. In February 2008, the World Health Organization began an inquiry designed to ascertain whether the sand meets WHO beach health and safety guidelines.

With its modernity, La Barceloneta continues to inhabit the scent of salt and marine life. For many, this is considered a luxury. La Barceloneta also attracts many cruise ships to dock.

Among the attractions on Barceloneta's beach are German artist Rebecca Horn's "Homenatge a la Barceloneta" monument, and, where the beach gives way to the Port Olímpic, Frank Gehry's modern "Peix d'Or" sculpture.

In the center of the neighborhood, there is a small museum, called "Casa de la Barceloneta", which is housed in a preserved building dating back to 1761. Admission to the museum serves as an insight into the evolution of the neighborhood and its history. The house has a stone façade with letters and number engraved that are inscriptions of the plots used in construction.

History

La Barceloneta was mainly underwater until the 1600s. During the construction of Port Vell, a dike was built linking the small island of Maians to the city, and landfill created the ground on which the neighborhood was later built.

La Barceloneta was practically an uninhabited zone until the mid 18th century. Fishermen were the first to frequent this part of Barcelona even though the sea conditions were very precarious. In 1754, construction of the first houses began, and the neighborhood began to become filled with residents who took part in activities of the port.

The neighborhood of La Barceloneta was designed by an engineer named Juan Martín Cermeño. The famous markets located in La Barceloneta were designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Rovira i Trias in 1873. He had an urban plan for the future of Barcelona architecture which won the 1859 municipal contest by city council's decree, but the central government in Madrid favored the plan of Ildefons Cerdà. Rovira and his work were soon forgotten and lost in history, until a book was published about his style of urban planning and the other works he was responsible for, like the numerous markets in La Barceloneta.

In the present day, in the building of Palau de Mar on the Passeig de Joan de Borbó, exists the History Museum of Catalonia. This museum contains a permanent exhibit about the history of Catalonia up until its industrialization, the era of dictatorship, or the present day democracy. Additionally, the terrace of their cafeteria has an excellent view of the neighborhood and the port.

This neighborhood is far from lacking ancient history with its churches, like the Sant Miquel del Port located in the Barceloneta plaza. This church is located near the beach campus of Pompeu Fabra University.

In close distance to the History Museum of Catalonia resides the Clock Tower. This is an example of some of the ancient constructions in the neighborhood. It was constructed in 1772 within the Fishermen's Wharf and worked as the lighthouse port up until the mid 19th century. When the port was modernized, the use for the lighthouse became obsolete. To maintain its base, the tower was transformed into a clock in the mid 19th century. This clock tower was one of the materials used by scientist Pierre Méchain as he measured the length of the meridian arc between Barcelona and Dunkirk

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