A Photographic Essay of Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain is one of my favorite cities in the world. Since the 1992 Olympics, it has gradually become one of the most popular destinations on the globe. When I first visited this Catalan Capital in the early nineties, few people were familiar with it. Yet now, it is not uncommon for acquaintances and friends to have this be the site of their summer vacation. 

There is more to Barcelona than meets the eye. There are more than beaches, tapas and the iconic Basilica of the Sagrada Familia. In its depth, there is a culture that outsiders seldom see. There are streets outside the tourist zone where foreigners rarely tread. Bubbling behind the surface is also an independence movement that at times has sparked violence. 

I returned to Barcelona a few years ago with my daughter. Part of my goal was to show her as much of the city and its culture as possible, both known and hidden. What follows is a story of Barcelona through the lens of a camera.

 

Carrer de la Volta dels Tamborets in El Born District.

Església de Santa Maria de Montalegre de Barcelona.

Detail of Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar.

Local street festival.

L'Estel Ferit, a contemporary sculpture on San Miguel Beach.

Competition of human towers.

Tombs of Ramon Berenguer I and his wife, Almodis, in the Cathedral of Saint Eulalia.

Detail on Basilica of the Sagrada Familia.

Pockmarks from the Spanish Civil War on the walls of the church of Sant Felip Neri.

Sculpture of a child's face.

View of Montjuïc from roof of the Cathedral.

Palau de la Música Catalana.

Cathedral of Barcelona.

Street in El Raval at Midnight.

Barcelona Metro.

Palace of the Balmesiana in the Plaça del Vuit de Març.

“Woman and Bird” sculpture by Catalan artist, Joan Miró.

Casa Milà, a building designed by Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudí.

The Champions.

Sant Pau del Camp, a former church and monastery from the 12th century.

Montjuïc Cemetery.

Plaça d'Espanya.

Camp Nou, home stadium of Barcelona Football Club.

Church of Sant Llàtzer in the Plaça del Pedró, El Raval.

A silent protest for political prisoners.

Street performer in the Gothic Quarter.

Sculpture of La Gamba (the shrimp) located on a walkway next to the sea.

Words written on a tree to memorialize a terrorist attack on the Rambla in 2017 which killed 13 and wounded 130.

Fragment of Roman aqueduct in Barcelona.

Saint George (patron Saint of Catalonia) killing the dragon.

Statue of Columbus pointing toward the New World.