Stone faces and a Flat Iron Building at Born
If you are in Barcelona for holiday, take a little walk to El Born district. Is a famous district inside the historic center due for the secession war. Did not you know? It does not matter if you read something here at least you’ll not look at like a lunatic. In any case, in terms of faces, if yours will be strange, you find some really curious. Like stone I would say. yes right! If you come across the church of Santa Maria del Mar it will be easy to find one. You do not even know this church? Okay, let me tell you something about or maybe not! I do not tell you anything, read here about this magnificent structure.
Stone faces
Well, where were we? Ah right! Stone faces. If you are facing the entrance to the church, take the road to the left and then turn for a narrow alley, always on the left (Carrer dell Mirrallers). Done? Now, always go straight until the road does end. Stop here. See something? If so,good! If not no worries, be patient. Take a look to the right. You will find just in the corner, a face of a woman. Cool eh?
The reason
But why? The explanation is curious and effective at the same time. At the time of the Middle Ages and perhaps even before, people were mostly ignorant. He did not know how to read or write. So if you’ve landed after months of navigation, or just want to have some fun you could not rely on tourist maps or written directions. The first were not avaiable, the second although there were useless. You were ignorant!
So what better way to say that you are in the right place to spend an hour or more, if you can do it, with a beautiful young girl?
Here’s the arcane. A beautiful stone sign, a three-dimensional flyer to alert you that you are in the right place.
Jokes apart, the woman’s face is well preserved after a restoration and often those who pass through these little alleys do not even mind.
But be careful! In the neighborhood there is another face just at the corner of Carrer de les mosques. Where is it? Click here and Google Maps helps you.
Finally you are in an quarter full of stone faces to indicate, in the past, different areas with different characteristics. Prostitutes or foreign communities. Today there are fews and are difficult to find. But for sure, in the past, it was fun to raise your eyes in search of your favorite face.
Flat Iron Building
Ah I forgot the Flat Iron Building! Well that’s in New York. You could take a ticket an flying it to admire in its strangeness. Another solution is to walk by the Rambla del Born, behind the church of Santa Maria del Mar. Turn left at Carrer del Rec. You will find, almost in the end, a palace it looks like the Flat Iron Building. Smaller but older, sure enough.
In short, the Born, with stone faces hidden in the corners of the streets, a famous church and a similar Flat Iron Building, offers a lot of curiosity. It could be more interestin if take place an old market, bars where to drink and maybe a Mexican restaurant! There is that one too. At Born there is everything!
Ah, I forgot, take a look at the galleries below. There is a face that is not really old! What will it be?
