This Is Catalonia
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this is CAtALONiA A Guide to Architectural Heritage :BibliotecadeCatalunya-DadesCIP Pladevall i Font, Antoni, 1934- ThisisCatalonia:aguidetothearchitecturalheritage ISBN9788439386810 I.NavarroiCossio,Antoni,1939-II.López,Mercè LópezFort),ed.III.Catalunya.GeneralitatIV.Títol) Edificishistòrics–Catalunya–Guies 2. Monuments .1 Catalunya–Guies– (036)(467.1)721 Authors AntoniPladevalliFont AntoniNavarroiCossío Photographs ,DGPC:DirectorateGeneralforCulturalHeritage/JordiContijoch,JosepGiribet,JordiGumí ,.LourdesJansana,MercèLópez,MontserratManent,BobMasters,NortoMéndez,PaisajesE JordiPlay,MartaPrat,AlbertSierra MHC:TheMuseumofHistoryofCatalonia/PepBotey,PepoSegura MNAT:TheNationalArchaeologicalMuseumofTarragona;MAC:TheArchaeologicalMuseumofCatalonia ARXIUMNACTEC:TheNationalMuseumofScienceandTechnologyofCatalonia/TeresaLlordés MEMGA:TheEthnologicalMuseumoftheMontseny/JosepCamps CRBM:CentrefortheRestorationofCulturalWorks/CarlesAymerich .TheLaPaneraArtCentre/JordiV.Pou;PalauRobert/JosepMoragues,ACNAS.L ,CE09:WinnersoftheFlickrpatrimoni.gencatcompetition.Summer2009/agueda_galimany,amnares ,andrEsA,MariaDolorsAñon,IsidreCanela,FrancescCarreras,MontseCrivillers,JordiChueca ,AlbertCodina,JaumeGassol,ManelGrau,guspiraalsnúvols,CarlesIlla,jparellada,EnricLópez ,FerranLavall,llumimirada,mami13,ManelMarqués,MontseMarse,meydema,msegarra_mso,LaNoguera DomènecNogués,DavidNos,JosepMariaPlantalech,Ponentí,MiquelPons,JosepPonsiBusquet,Eli .Ramírez,ManelSegarra,ElsenyordelsBertins,Tomàs,JoséMaría(Txema),vito7,XeviV Coordination MercèLópezFort WiththecooperationofAnnaBusomArrueboandMireiaHernándezHerguido Graphic Design Eumogràfic Printing C.A.Gráfica English translation ServeisLingüísticsUVic Co-editor DolorsTorrasiMargenat Cartography DGPC:LluísGonzálezandNúriaBachs Mappage17:CartographyfromtheCartographicInstituteofCatalonia Published by GeneralitatdeCatalunya ©GeneralitatdeCatalunya© GovernmentofCatalonia GovernmentofCatalonia MinistryofCulture MinistryofEnterpriseandLabour Acknowledgements ToDolorsTorrasiMargenatforherresearchworkandtyping.ToJordiContijochforthevalueofhis photographicwork,carriedoutwhiletravellingthroughthecountrywiththefirsteditionofThisisCatalonia .underhisarm ToallthestaffattheInformationandTouristPromotionService,oftheDirectorateGeneralofTourismand .totheTechnicalSupportAreaoftheDirectorateGeneralofCulturalHeritagefortheirhelp .Manythankstoallthosewhohaveparticipatedinthispublication LegalDeposit:VG463-2010 this is CAtALONiA A Guide to Architectural Heritage Antoni Pladevall i Font Antoni Navarro i Cossío Prologue It has often been said that our country’s architectural heritage is like an open book and this is probably true. Few of Man’s manifestations reflect the lives of people in the same way as architecture; from palaces and castles to workers’ cultural centres and industrial colonies, from the first hamlets to the most radical contemporary architecture. The desires of their constructors can be read in each building, as well as the comings and goings of those who lived in them and the passage of time on their walls. This diverse and complex architecture is found throughout Catalonia. There is no town which does not have some interesting feature in its streets; and the discovery of these treasures great and small has been the task of enthusiastic walkers, historians, architects and government bodies for more than a century, at significant periods such as the Catalan Commonwealth and the Republic and now decades later, with the reintroduction of democracy and with the participation of today’s cultural governing bodies. The publication of This is Catalonia in 1987 was a milestone in the dissemination of this vast heritage. The public could now disregard the customary monuments which were well-known to everyone and move on to the hundreds of ideas which motivated visits and learning. The book was the result of the work undertaken by the Inventory of Architectural Heritage of the Government of Catalonia, and sprang from the boundless commitment of its director, Antonio Pladevall; a skilled and energetic historian, a man who was always available for consultation, yet an almost legendary figure, with his excellent knowledge of history in all corners of the country. Throughout these years, This is Catalonia has been a very important book for those who love this land and who wander throughout, guided by its pages. Two decades later, no new book consultation has replaced it. It was decided, together with the Department of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise -, that the time had come to lend the book a new lease of life by compiling the many improvements which have taken place in the heritage sector. To begin with, the Vall de Boí, the monumental site of Tarraco (Tarragona), the Monastery of Poblet, the works of Gaudí, the Hospital of Sant Pau, the Palau de la Música and the primitive artwork of the Mediterranean basin have all been recognised as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Furthermore, dozens of buildings and architectural monuments have been declared Works of Cultural Interest; the Museum of History of Catalonia has taken charge of some fifteen Catalan monuments, while the National Museum of Science and Technology has created an extraordinary network of facilities which show the industrialisation of Catalonia. In addition, all the great Catalan monuments, without exception, have been restored over the last few years. In short, the work of local bodies and of the Government of Catalonia in the preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage has left us once again today with a marvellous perspective, which opens up discoveries every day. Over the last two decades, the idea of what kind of architecture is valuable to our history has also changed. The explosion of interest in Modernisme and contemporary architecture which began in the 1990s has continued, and has led us to include a second author in this guide, the architect Antoni Navarro i Cossío, who has brought with him his years of experience in the Architectural Heritage Service and his excellent knowledge of 20th century architecture, a field in which he has played a decisive role, helping to evaluate the first manifestations of Rationalist architecture in the country. Likewise, the lesser known Modernista works, Noucentisme and the most recent works by young architects are valuable inclusions, which bring the scope of this guide right up to date. The book’s illustrations have also been updated and include examples of the creative work of two generations of enthusiastic heritage photographers: that of Jordi Contijoch, who has faithfully followed the path set out by the work of Pladevall over the years, and that of new photographers who share Internet content, such as the winners of the heritage photography contest held by the patrimoni.gencat website during the summer of 2009, which saw a massive response. Catalonia is not a country consisting of a capital city surrounded by wilderness. It is quite the opposite; it is dense and complex in all its aspects and its architecture is perhaps the clearest example of this. In short, Catalonia is a country where each town has its own value and there is no better way of proving this than by visiting it unhurriedly and guided by this book as a wise companion. DirectorateGeneralforCulturalHeritage The re-publication of the guide This is Catalonia. An Architectural Heritage Guide has a special meaning from the standpoint of tourism, given that it systemises, qualifies and presents the highly important architectural heritage of Catalonia in an ordered manner. It is beyond doubt that architectural heritage has become one of the main assets of the country in terms of developing a strategy for the promotion of tourism, based on cultural tourism and on the attraction of tourist segments which provide more quality and added value. According to the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), these are the segments which are most likely to grow in the future. As such, the re-publication of this guide also connects with the guidelines of the 2005-2010 Strategic Tourism Plan for Catalonia and with its primary objective; placing Catalonia as a recognised tourism brand, which is appreciated for its natural values and for its identity. In an increasingly globalized world, in which covering long distances becomes easier every day, the success of a tourist destination is determined largely by its ability to remain unique, and to become distinct and different compared to its competitors. Based on this premise, one of the features which may perhaps define Catalonia the most is its architectural and monumental heritage, which remains as a reflection and a direct expression of its identity, culture and idiosyncrasies. This concept may be applied to Catalan Gothic architecture from the times of medieval splendour to the legacy of Modernisme in the field of the arts and architecture, and which continues to be a direct embodiment of the genius of this country. The first artistic expressions of the people who inhabited our country, on the slopes of the Cogul in the Garrigues mountain range, can be seen and understood on the pages of this guide. It discusses the Iberian world, from El Penedès to L’Empordà, follows the footsteps of the Greeks at Empúries and of the Romans in Tarragona and many other places, discovers the legacy of the Visigoths at Terrassa and that of the Muslims in Tortosa, Lleida and El Priorat, enjoys Medieval splendour with the magnificent Romanesque architecture of Old Catalonia, the architecture of the military orders at Les Terres de l’Ebre, the Cistercian sobriety of the three great monasteries which house the pantheons of our kings, and the pure Catalan Gothic style found in the royal cities and towns.