Montjuic: the hill of the museums
(Ref 11)

The hill of Monjuich is located at the south western limit of Barcelona city. The first barcelonians we know about, the iberian tribu of the laietans, lived in this little mountain 400 years before the roman's arrival, in the 1st century. During the Middle Ages, the hill hosted the Jewish cemetery and the lime stone quarry of the city that provided the material to build most of the historical buildings that we can admire in the Old city of Barcelona still Today.
Plaça Espanya, located at the bottom of its norther face is one of the most beautiful spots in Barcelona. It was designed for the World Fair of 1929 and it was inspired in Saint Peter Sq. of Rome.
In front of the Magic fountain, that offers a moving show of water, music and colour on weekends evenings, we can admire the main pavillion of the World Fair, the Royal Palace of Maria Cristina, that hosted the royal family during the World Fair, was restored by the italian architect Gaia Aulenti on 1986 to become the National Museum of Art of Catalonia, the MNAC, the most impressive Art Museum of the city that host more than 1000 years of art in its collection. A trip from the Romanesque and Gothic frescos to the Renaissance and Baroque style paintings, with special attention to the 19th and 20th century also, thanks to an excellent new section devoted to the social and artistic movements that influenced painting, sculpture, architecture, cinema, photography, between the 19th century and 1950.
Picasso, Ramon Casas, Joaquim Mir, Gaudí, Miró, are some of the artist here represented in a entertaining and fresh exhibition inaugurated on September 2014.
Few minutes walk from the Olympic ring we will get to Fundació Miró, that host Joan Miro's work. Inaugurated in 1975, Miro's fondation is one of the most visited museums of the city that offers us a complete and intimate vision of the different periods and aspect's of Miro's conception of art.
After the visit to Miro's Fondation we will visit Poble Espanyol, the most successful pavilion during the World Fair of 1929, populary known as the city of craftmen, thanks to the interesting craftmen shops that we can find in this beautiful little town. Poble Espanyol was created to depict the cultural diversity of Spain through its architecture and urban structures. Walking through this little town we will admire the copies of real houses that exist in different towns all over Spain belonging to different periods; andalusian patios, castillian squares, a catalan romanesque monastery, Jewish houses of the region of Aragon, not forgetting the authentic craftmen shops where to get the best Spanish mantillas, silver jewellery or leather belts amongst other unique things.
The tour will finish in Poble Espanyol, where you will be able to spend some time shopping and/or having dinner or lunch.

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