Roman Ruins Barcelona

Roman Spain conjures up images of life an enormously long time ago. So far away is Roman civilization from 2006 that it seems impossible to get a mental grip on all the epochs that have passed between then and now. Try conceptualizing twenty people who lived a total of eighty five years, one after another. Twenty great grannies down the line is, in fact, Roman territory. Our Latino ancestors who influenced so much of life in Europe are not, after all, so alien to us. Barcelona is a Roman city and the Catalan language, like Castilian Spanish, evolved from Latin that was bought over by the initial Roman invaders.

The hub of Roman Barcelona, known then as Barcino, is in fact today’s Ciutat Vella or Barri Gotic. The entrance to Barcino is on the right hand side of the cathedral where a series of artistic sculptures each about half a meter high spell out the word BARCINO. These sculptures are not from Roman times but they do indicate when you have reached the ancient city.  In the past, two aqueducts took water up to the city entrance and into Barcino from the Rivers Llobregat and Besos. Just behind the Plaza de la Catedral, in C/ Sagistrans, part of one of the old aqueducts can be traced in the walls of another building. Strangely, new brick work was built round the aqueduct, leaving its ghostly outline as a reminder of the city’s Roman roots.

The inhabitants of Barcino were Barcinonensis and the center of the city was the forum, a space for commerce and meetings. The forum area was located in Plaza St. Jaume where the council and local government buildings are still positioned today. There is a side road leading from Plaça Jaume called Calle Paradís, which wanders up past the Wooden Spoon Irish Pub. Although this street appears to be an insignificant alley way, a little sign that states in even smaller letters “To Roman Ruins” craftily points into number 10, Calle Paradis, what seems to be a private block of flats. Most definitely do not be shy as, on turning right into this area, four enormously magnificent columns veer skywards, within touching distance. These columns formed a part of the original Augustine temple government building, inhabited by Roman Emperor Augustus himself for a short time. This place used to mark the highest ground level point in Barcino.

Turning right out of Plaza Jaume and into Calle Ferran, there is a side street called Avinyó that bends to the left. Shwarma bars and cute Catalan restaurants whet appetites with their wafting food fumes. Look further though, and it is possible to see a number of bars on the left hand side of this road that house sections of the ancient city wall, still intact. Likewise, an ancient Roman burial site complete with tombs, not to mention the sunbathing stray cats, sits on a subterranean level in Plaça Madrid, located between the Ramblas and Portal del Angel.

Most of the ancient city is now buried deep underneath today’s city center. Excavation work is constantly going on to uncover more of Roman Barcino but what has been dug up can be viewed in the City History Museum, located in Plaza del Rei, near Plaza St. Jaume. A lift goes down into the vaults of the city while a digital year display counts down time in big red flashing numbers. The doors open at 600AD and Roman Barcino breathes in the shadowy subterranean light. Extensive sections of the Roman wall, in addition to the foundations of buildings, churches and bathing areas can be seen. It is possible to stroll along the ruins of an entire street complete with a drainage system, trading areas and their corresponding preparation zones for salted fish, wine making, laundry and fabric dying. There is also a large exhibition of artifacts that were found during excavation such as jewelry, coins, ceramics and needles. It seems that women in Roman times were as prone to pluck their eyebrows as they are today judging from the large collection of Roman tweezers that are also on display. A short film shows a graphic representation of Barcino, and its geographical location in relation to the rivers and the sea. Most excitingly, though, is the awareness that Barcino is slowly but surely growing as new archeological projects uncover more ruins. Try peeping round the makeshift walls that cover over the excavation work!

Barcino was not, however, the thriving capital that it is today. Tarraco (Tarragona) far outshone Barcelona in both size and importance. Today, the amphitheatre, aqueduct and many ruins remain impressively intact. Slightly further a field is the Greek/Roman site of Empurius, the original settlement of the first Roman warriors who came to Iberia. Situated on the Costa Brava, next to the rugged beach of L’Escalla, this historical haven makes a great weekend trip.

Genevieve Shaw