Plaza de Ramon Berenguer el Gran

We will start our walk through the Gothic Quarter in the square named after the Count of Barcelona and Girona, Ramon Berenguer III the Great. He ruled the province from 1097 to 1131 and greatly increased his possessions, mainly through marriages with representatives of other count dynasties. His last and third marriage to the Countess of Provence, Douce de Gévaudan, allowed him to take over the province. Part of the land the count won back from the Muslims, in 1118 he captured Tarragona and founded a bishopric there, which spread its influence throughout Catalonia.

In the center of the square, a bronze monument depicting Ramon Berenguer the Great on horseback was erected in 1880. The author of the sculpture is Josep Llimona i Bruguera.

The western border of the square is formed by the Chapel of St. Agatha in the Catalan Gothic style in 1302. The church was part of the Grand Royal and had the status of a royal chapel (Capilla Real de Santa Agata). In 1886, the church received the status of a national monument, now it is part of the Barcelona History Museum, which is located to the left of the church tower, in the Palace of Padellas (Casa Padellàs).

The square is surrounded by monumental buildings built in the thirties and forties of the twentieth century, in which you can see the features of classicism and decorative elements from the Art Nouveau era that had already passed by.

Then, along the Carrer de la Tapineria, along the medieval wall, we went to the Cathedral Square (Pla de la Se).