http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/sandamichaela-1924489-walk-barcelona12/

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The Catalonians are understandably proud to be the first region in Spain to ban bullfighting. The Plaza de Toros Monumental, ancient bullring, shelters The Bullfighting Museum of Barcelona.

The Plaza Monumental de Barcelona

The Plaza Monumental de Barcelona

The Plaza Monumental de Barcelona

The Plaza Monumental de Barcelona, was the last place in Catalonia where bullfights were held, since the Parliament of Catalonia passed a ban of bullfighting events on 28 July 2010 that came into force in 2012

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The Plaza Monumental de Barcelona

The Plaza Monumental de Barcelona

The Plaza Monumental de Barcelona

The Plaza Monumental de Barcelona

The Plaza Monumental de Barcelona

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The Plaza Monumental de Barcelona

Arenas de Barcelona, with its beautiful neo-mujedar architecture, used to be a bullfighting arena but has now been converted into a shopping plaza

The Arenas de Barcelona is a former bullring turned commercial complex near the Plaa d'Espanya. From the publicly accessible rooftop visitors have amazing views over the city

The Arenas (Arenes in Catalan) was built between 1889 and 1900 as the Plaa de Toros de les Arenes, the bullring of Barcelona. It was designed by the Catalan architect August Font i Carreras in a Moorish style with a monumental horseshoe shaped entrance decorated with colorful tiles

The arena, which has a diameter of 52 meters (171 ft), could seat up to 16,000 spectators. Besides bullfights, the arena also played host to a number of concerts; the Beatles even performed here in 1966. Bullfighting never really caught on in Catalonia and the last bullfight took place here on June 9, 1977, leaving the Plaza de Toros Monumental as the only bullfighting arena in Barcelona. But even that arena closed in early 2012 when a bullfighting ban went into effect in Catalonia.

For decades, the arenas de Barcelona stood empty and it took until 1999 before plans were launched to turn the arena into a modern shopping and entertainment center. The architectural firm of Richard Rogers was selected to design a state of the art complex, while conserving the historic red brick structure.

The new Arenas de Barcelona opened in March 2011. The original faade is mostly intact and encircles a modern domed complex with eateries, shops, movie theaters and a Rock Museum, all spread over six floors.

The rooftop terrace, which is accessible either via a series of escalators or via an elevator attached to the exterior of the building, offers great 360 degree views over the surrounding area. The views over Plaa d'Espanya and towards the Palau Nacional are especially impressive.

The area behind the arena was originally known as the Parc de l'Escorxador (Park of the Abattoir) as it was the location for the bullring's abattoir.

In the 1980s the park was renamed Parc de Joan Mir for the local artist who left his mark on the square with a 22m high colorful sculpture, known as 'Dona i Ocell' (Woman and Bird)

Joan Mir 'Dona i Ocell' (Woman and Bird)

Plaa d'Espanya

Plaa d'Espanya also known as Plaza de Espaa in Spanish, is one of Barcelona's most important squares, built on the occasion of the 1929 International Exhibition, held at the foot of Montjuc, in the Sants-Montjuc district. One of the city's biggest squares, it is the junction of several major thoroughfares: Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, Avinguda del Parallel, Carrer de la Creu Coberta and Carrer de Tarragona, and leads to the Palau Nacional through Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, which houses one of Catalonia's finest museums, the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC).

The fountain at the centre of the square was designed by Josep Maria Jujol, a collaborator of Antoni Gaud, while Miquel Blay designed the statues.

The fountain at the centre of the square was designed by Josep Maria Jujol, a collaborator of Antoni Gaud, while Miquel Blay designed the statues. Its ornate decoration is an allegory of Spain, surrounded by water. Three niches with sculptures symbolize the three principal rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, the Ebro, Guadalquivir and Tagus. Around the central sculpture, three decorated columns symbolize Religion (a cross with Ramon Llull, Saint Teresa of Jesus, and Saint Ignatius of Loyola), Heroism (a sword with Pelagius of Asturias, James I and Isabella), and Arts ( a book with Ausis March and Miguel de Cervantes).

The sculptures adorning the fountain were created by the Spanish sculptor Miguel Blay Fabregas.

Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina is an avenue in the Sants-Montjuc district linking Plaa d'Espanya with Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya on Montjuc hill. It is named after Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, queen consort and regent of Spain.The twin Venetian Towers are a major landmark at the junction of this avenue with Plaa d'Espanya.

Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina

The twin Venetian Towers are a major landmark at the junction of this avenue with Plaa d'Espanya.

Venetian Towers - they are 47 m (154 ft) tall and lead the way to the MNAC (the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya) via Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, an avenue commonly used to host trade fairs.

The square was built on a site that had been previously used for public hangings, until the creation of the now demolished Ciutadella fortress in 1715, where the gallows were moved. It was designed in 1915 and built in 1929 so that it could be ready to host the 1929 Universal Exposition. The square has been in public use since then.

Fira de Barcelona is Barcelonas trade fair institution and one of the most important in Europe. Every year, it organises numerous trade shows and congresses, which bring together leading companies from different economic sectors to showcase their new products, exchange experiences and promote business

Avinguda de la Reina Maria CristinaPart of the Fira de Barcelona is based here, with a number of yearly trade, technology and fashion fairs and festivals being held in this location. It's also the starting point of the Barcelona Marathon.

Plaa Espanya is also a major transport hub that serves most parts of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona.

The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya ("National Art Museum of Catalonia"), abbreviated as MNAC, is the national museum of Catalan visual art, situated on Montjuc hill at the end of Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, near Pl Espanya.

The museum is especially notable for its outstanding collection of romanesque church paintings, and for Catalan art and design from the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Serra Pedro Madonna with Angels Playing Music, 1390

The Oval Hall was reopened in 1992 on the occasion of the Olympic Games, and the various collections were installed and opened over the period from 1995 (when the Romanesque Art section was reopened) to 2004.

The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) was officially inaugurated on 16 December 2004

The Museum is housed in the Palau Nacional, a huge, Italian-style building dating to 1929. The Palau Nacional, which has housed the Museu d'Art de Catalunya since 1934, was declared a national museum in 1990 under the Museums Law passed by the Catalan Government.

Since 2004, the Palau Nacional has once more housed several magnificent art collections, mostly by Catalan art, but also Spanish and European art. The works from that first museum have now been enriched by new purchases and donations, tracing the countrys art history from early medieval times to the mid-20th century

View from the museum terrace

Text: InternetPictures: Daniela Iacob & InternetCopyrights of the photos belong to each photographerPresentation: Sanda Foioreanuwww.slideshare.net/michaelasandaSound: La Orquestra SELVATANA interpreta Girona M'enamora de Ricard Viladesau

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