Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1909-08-18
SPANS BEAUTY CITY
Glimpses Of Barcelona, Hotbed Of
the Present Revolution.
DIVIDED INTO TWO SECTIONS

DIVIDED INTO TWO SECTIONS
Il Has Its Old and New Quarters, an
Ancient History and Beautiful Build.
tngs-Spain's Most Important Com.
merciaI and Industrial Town.
Barcelona, where the present dis
content Of the people throughout Spain
over the continuation of the fighting
against the Moors ut Melilla, in Moroc-
co, recently assumed the character Of
civil war, is the capital of the captain
generalcy Of Catalonia as we'll as the
most important commercial and indus
trial town in Spain. 1t is on an un-
dulating plain on the shore Of the Med
1terranean, in about the same latitude
as Rome. On the southeast rise the
Montjuich hills, crowned by fortified
lions; on the three other sides Of the
plain stretches picturesque mountain
background. The suburbs are a series
OF cultivated semitropical gardens,
and beyond the plain is dotted with
villages and farms and intersected
with beautiful streams. Don Quixote
described the city as unique both in
beauty and situation" and even in
modern days, when the smoke Of fac
tory chimneys takes away some Of the
former picturesqueness, 1t ranks as
one of the most attractive of Mediter-
ranean towns.
Barcelona has population of
$4,000, counting the old and new
towns together. The houses of the
new town are largely built of hewn
stone, which make an imposing ap-
pearance, and the streets are laid out
very regularly. The busy life of the
city centers in the Rambla, a charm.
ing promenade which unites the old
town with the new and along which
are the principal theaters, shops and
cafes and where the pretty flower
girls display their wares under the
| shade of the plane trees.
City Of Two Parts.
The old city was formerly surround
ed by line of ramparts defended by
citadel on the northeast erected by
Philip v, but as these Notifications
restricted the development Of the town
they were abolished by the local au-
thorities in 1915 despite the opposition
of the central government. The walls
Of the moat were turned into cellars,
| and the ground was laid out in gar
dens. The city rapidly spread out to
the northwest, and in 1860 an elabo-
rate plan was made for laying out new
districts. Thus the town is divided
into old and new. the old interesting
for its irregular. narrow streets and its
houses, built i'm eastern fashion. chief
~ Of brick. four to five stories in
| height, with fiat roofs.
Old Barcelona forms hexagon, or
the southeast side of which lies the
harbor. On the highest. point Of the
! town. the Monte Taber. stands the
cathedral. one Of the finest specimens
Of Spanish Gothic architecture. 1t Is
| on site once occupied by a Roman
The building Of the cathedral was be-
gun in 1898. and the keystone Of the
vaulting was laid by Andres Escudel
In 144S. The scale is not large, but
the arrangement and lighting are sc
fine that the impression Of great size
is given. To the right and left Of the
northeast doorway are two inscriptions
relating to the building Of the church
Magnificent Sunset Effects.
The interior of the cathedral is very
dark. but impressive. The small win
dows contain the finest fifteenth cen
fury stained glass, and the sunset eff
| fects upon them are magnificent. One
| Of the most interesting of the chapeis
Is that of Santo Cristi de Lepanto
! which contains the "Christ Of Lepan
| to-" said to have been carried by Don
John Of Austria in his flagship at the
! famous battle Of Oct. 6. 1911. The
image Of the Saviour is said to be
bending its head to escape a Turkish
| bullet.
A number Of interesting buildings
are grouped near the cathedral The
Canonjia (canonry) dates from the IF
! teenth century, and on the back wall is
a mural painting of "The Last Supper y
The shoemakers' guild house is an ex-
ample of sixteenth century renais.
sance. Not far off stands the palacio
episcopal. which dates from 92G
| though rebuilt since then. It contains
some RomanesQue remains. and one OF
its gateways is partly of Roman work
manship.
The city's Mythical Founder.
,, In the Gale del Paradis behind the
cathedral are buried three Corinthian
columns fifty feet in height which are
probably the remains Of the pcrtico OF
Roman temple. described by legend
as dedicated to Hercules. the mythical
founder Of Barcelona. The genera!
archive. erected for Charles ". is an
interesting Gothic structure containing
about 100000 documents and the
Provincial museum. too, is worthy OF
note.
Barcelona's place in the commercial
history Of Spain is one of pre-emi.
hence. In the twelfth and thirteenth
centuries 1t was the rival Of Venice
and Genoa. The merchants of BARGE.
Iona could Ike found trading with all
the Mediterranean ports, with the
Netherlands and the orient. With the
emancipation of the Spanish American
colonies decline set in. but this
proved only temporary, and now it's
commercial and Industrial status is
quite assured. The town is sometimes