Fodor's Spain 2014 by Fodor's

Author:Fodor's [Fodor’s Travel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780770432591
Publisher: Fodor's Travel Publications
Published: 2013-11-12T00:00:00+00:00

Worth Noting

Gran Teatre del Liceu.

Barcelona’s opera house has long been considered one of the most beautiful in Europe, in the same category as Milan’s La Scala. First built in 1848, this cherished cultural landmark was torched in 1861, then later bombed by anarchists in 1893, and once again gutted by a blaze of mysterious origin in early 1994. During that most recent fire, Barcelona’s soprano Montserrat Caballé stood on the Rambla in tears as her beloved venue was consumed. Five years later, a restored Liceu, equipped for modern productions, opened anew. Even if you don’t see an opera, don’t miss a tour of the building; some of the Liceu’s most spectacular halls and rooms, including the glittering foyer known as the Saló dels Miralls (Room of Mirrors), were untouched by the fire of 1994, as were those of Spain’s oldest social club, El Círculo del Liceu. The Espai Liceu downstairs provides the city with daily cultural and commercial operatic interaction. With a cafeteria; a shop specializing in opera-related gifts, books, and recordings; a small, 50-person-capacity theater running videos of opera fragments and the history of the opera house; and a Mediateca (media library) featuring recordings and filmings of past opera productions, Espai Liceu is the final step in the Barcelona opera’s phoenixlike resurrection. | La Rambla 51–59, Rambla | 93/485–9913 | www.liceubarcelona.cat | Guided tours €11.50; 20-min, self-guided express tour €5–€50 | Tours daily at 10 am in Spanish and English; self-guided express tours daily at 11:30, noon, 12:30, and 1 pm. Backstage tours at 9 or 9:15 am (€10) must be arranged by reservation at 93/485–9900 | Station: Liceu.

Monument a Colom (Columbus Monument).

This Barcelona landmark to Christopher Columbus sits grandly at the foot of the Rambla along the wide harbor-front promenade of the Passeig de Colom, not far from the very shipyards (Drassanes Reials) that constructed two of the ships of his tiny but immortal fleet. Standing atop the 150-foot-high iron column—the base of which is aswirl with gesticulating angels—Columbus seems to be looking out at “that far-distant shore,” which he was able to discover thanks to the patronage of Ferdinand and Isabella. In truth, he is pointing—with his 18-inch-long finger—in the general direction of Sicily. The monument was erected for the 1888 Universal Exposition to commemorate the “Discoverer’s” commissioning, in Barcelona, by the monarchs in 1491. Since the royal court was at that time (and, until 1561, remained) itinerant, Barcelona’s role in the discovery of the New World is, at best, circumstantial. In fact, Barcelona was consequently excluded from trade with the Americas by Isabella, so Catalonia and Columbus have never really seen eye to eye. For a bird’s-eye view over the Rambla and the port, take the elevator to the small viewing area at the top of the column. (The entrance is on the harbor side.) | Portal de la Pau s/n, Rambla | 93/302–5224 | €4 | Daily 9–8:30 | Station: Drassanes.

Port.

Beyond the Columbus monument—behind the ornate Duana (now headquarters for the Barcelona Port Authority)—is the

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