2 stops in walking order

Castle

The Barcelona of 1842 was a keg of social conflict. Amongst the issues was the free trade policy of the regent General Espartero and the damage it was causing to the textile industry and the livelihood of workers. Another simmering issue was the tax required to be paid for bringing food into the city. A climate of permanent tension existed in the city that foreshadowed an eventual explosion of violence. The trigger came when a group of some 30 workers returning to the city on 13 November 1842 tried to smuggle a small amount of wine into the city without paying the tax. An uprising broke out, and within hours the working classes of the city had taken up a war footing. The Government's reactions inflamed the civil revolt which quickly brought together interests across the social strata (including the industrialist Joan Güell (father of Eusebi Güell) and the Marquis of Llió) in opposition to the Government. The local militia (Patuleyas) also took part and by the 15th the streets had been barricaded and the army had to take refuge in the Montjuic Castle and Parc de la Ciutadella after suffering possibly up to 600 dead and wounded.

~20 min at this stop

Bridge

Avinguda Diagonal is the name of one of Barcelona's broadest and most important avenues. It cuts the city in two, diagonally with respect to the grid pattern of the surrounding streets, hence the name. It was originally projected by engineer and urban planner Ildefons Cerdà as one of the city's wide avenues, which along with Avinguda Meridiana would cut the rationalist grid he designed for Eixample (Catalan for 'Expansion'). Both would meet at Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, which Cerdà envisioned as the new city centre. However, Plaça Catalunya, equally a new addition to the city of Barcelona, and connecting Ciutat Vella and Eixample, and therefore occupying a more privileged position in the urban area, would finally become the centre. Avinguda Diagonal remains to this day a much-transited avenue and many companies and hotels use it as a privileged location, as can be seen in its architecture. The avenue starts in the Les Corts district on the western edge of the city and runs to the Sant Martí district on the eastern edge. To its west, it connects with the Lleida-Madrid highway and Ronda de Dalt in the neighbouring municipality of Esplugues de Llobregat.

~20 min at this stop