The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-08-10
BEAUTY CITY
Giimpses of Barcelona, Hotbed of
the Present Revolution.
DIVIDED INTO TWO SECTIONS
It Has tie Old and New Quarters, an
Ancient History and Beautiful Build
lnss-spaln's Most important Com
msreiai and Industrial Town.

mSreial and Industrial Town.
Barcelona, where the present dis
content Of the people throughout Spain
over the continuation OF the fighting
against the Moors at Melilla, In Moroc-
co, recently assumed the character OF
civil war, % the capital Of the captain
generally Of Catalonia as well as the
Rest important commercial and indus-
trial town In Spain. 1t is on an un-
dulatinG plain on the shore Of the Med
iterranean, in about the same latitude
as Rome On the southeast rise the
Montfuich hills, crowned by fortiAca-
lions; on the three other sides Of the
plain stretches picturesque mountain
background The suburbs are 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. it ranks as
one Of the most attractive Of Medtter-
renean towns.
Barcelona has q population OF
630 600, 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, 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 a line Of ramparts defended by
a citadel on the northeast erected by
Philip ", but as these Notifications
restricted the development of the town
they were abolished by the local au-
thorities In 1846 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 in eastern fashion, chief
" OF brick. four to Eve stories in
height, with fat roofs.
Old Barcelona forms hexagon, on
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 It is
on site once occupied by q Roman
temple and later BY a Moorish mosque.
The building of the cathedral was be
gun In 1888, ana the keystone Of the
vanlttng was laid by Andres Escuder
in 1913 The scale Is not large, but
the arrangement and lighting are so
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 ef-
fects upon them are magnificent One
Of the most interesting OF the chapels
Il that of Santo Cristd de Lepento, |
which contains the Christ OK Lepan-
to- said to have been carried by Don
John OF Austria IN his flagship at the
famous battle Of Oct. 6. 1871. The
image of the Saviour is said to be
bending its head to escape Turkish
bullet.
A number Of interesting buildings
are grouped near the cathedral. The
Canonjia (canonry) dates from the fif-
teenth century. and on the back wall Is |
q mural painting Of 1.-The Last Supper"
The shoemakers' guild house Is an ex.
ample OF sixteenth century renais-
sance. Not far OF stands the palacio
episcopal. which dates from 926,
though rebuilt since then. 1t contains
some Romanesque remains, and one Of |
its gateways Is partly Of Roman work
manship.
The clty'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 portico OF |
q Roman temple, described By legend
as dedicated to Hercules. the mythical
founder of Barcelona. The general
archive, erected for Charles ", is an |
interesting Gothic structure containing |
about 4,O00, 600 documents, and the
Provincial museum, too. Is worthy Of
note.
Barcelona's place In the commercially
history Of Spain Is one Of pre-emi-
hence. In the twelfth and thirteenth
centuries it was the rival Of Venice
and Genoa. The merchants of BARGE
Iona could be 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
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