RASGO - Red de Juderías de España. Caminos de Sefarad

Carrer de Sant Felip de Neri

The history of Barcelona stretches back well over 2000 years to its origins as an Iberian village, named Barkeno. Its easily defensible location on the coastal plain between the Collserola ridge (512 m) and the Mediterranean sea, on the coastal route between central Europe and the rest of the Iberian peninsula, has ensured its continued importance, if not always preeminence, throughout the ages.

Barcelona is currently a city of 1,673,075 inhabitants (2006), the second largest in Spain, and the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia. Its wider urban region is home to three-quarters of the population of Catalonia and one-eighth of that of Spain.

The Jewish population of Barcino/Barchinona dates from the mid-4th century at the latest. While the Jewish religion had been tolerated by the Romans, Jews suffered varying degrees of discrimination and persecution under the Visigoths. The Jewish population of Barchinona was considerable enough under the reign of Wamba (672–680) to demand a royal edict to expel the Sefardim.

Carrer de Sant Honorat

The 'Call' Fountain gave its the name to the present Sant Honorat street. The fountain was built in 1357 and was located at the end of the steet, near San Jaume Square. Up to that moment, the Jewish people went out of the Jewry bring fresh water, as the city laws ordered in 1356 forbid Christian people to harm Jewish people who went to the fountain for water.

The mew fountain was, actually, other evidence of the new process of segregation of the Jewish Community, since it was not necessary to mix with Christians or to go out the 'Call'.

La Plaça del Rei

The Square takes its name from the Main Royal Palace, located here since the 11st Century, when the Counts of Barcelona situated here their palace and its stairs congregated the great men of the city. At the right side of the square is the Royal Chapel of Santa Àgueda, from the 14th Century, y, at the left, the Palace of Lloctinent, from the middle of the 16th Century. Since 1836 to 1994 was the seat of the Archive of the Kingdom of Aragon. In the corner where the Royal Palace and the Palace of the Lloctinent join together is built the 'King Martí Mirador', a rectangular tower of 5 floors rose by order of King Martí l'Humà in 1555, nearly one century and a half after his death. Its name suggest that before the builing of the present tower, another one was located here, from which the King Martí l'Humà, the last one of the Royal Dinasty of Barcelona, watch the city and the sea. In the other side of the square, on Veguer Street, is located the Padellàs House, an ancient building from the 16th century, transfered stone by stone from its original place in the Vía Layetana, when that street was opened in the 19th Century. It is now the Museum of the History of the City and allows the access to the Roman Barcino, located in its subterranean floor.

Plaça de Sant Felip de Neri

Inside the Main Royal Palace it is located the Tinell Hall, built by Guillem Carbonell ordered by King Pere el Cerimoniós, between 1359 and 1362.

Inside that great hall (35 m lenght, 17m wide y 12m tall) the ambassadors were received by the King. Great feasts were usually also celebrated here. The tradition says that this was the place where Columbus explained to the Catholic Kings, Isabel y Fernando, the results of his first travel to America. During the 18th Century, the Santa Clara Convent transformed the hall in a church. The Tinell Hall recovered its orginal look in 1936 and now is a place for exhibitions, conferences, music concerts and other performances.

In the square is located the Church of the same name, built between 1748 and 1752. Here were situated the old Christian guilds of Boilermakers and Shoemakers.

In the front of the church, they are still visible the bullet holes from the Spanish Civil War, when the 'National', fascist Forces took Barcelona.

Volta del Remei

In Sant Jaume Square was located the Roman Forum de Barcino, in other words, the politic and administrative center of the city.

Today is occupied by the Palace of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the City Hall of Barcelona.

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