Museums & exhibition centres
Located in the centre of Barcelona's historic old town, the MACBA-Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona, has more than 20,000 m2 of floor space showcasing contemporary creativity. Its programme explores the visual arts, performance, dance, film, music, events and includes pioneering educational activities.
The building that was once a veil weaver’s house is now the home of a branch of the city’s history museum, the MUHBA, in the old Jewish Quarter, El Call. Its purpose is to provide an insight into the major contributions made by this community during the Middle Ages.
Beneath the Gothic Quarter's landmark square in Barcelona lies an impressive archaeological site, which offers visitors a glimpse of what the Roman colony of Barcino was like.
On 13th February 1937, Barcelona was subjected to the first of the 192 bombing raids by Franco"s army. This attack made the civilian population the unwitting protagonists of the war. The Passive Defence Board was set up in order to tackle the situation and save the lives of the local residents. The first shelters were set up in the basements of houses and in metro stations. However, as the bombings intensified, people joined together to build air-raid shelters.
The museum opened in 1996 in Barcelona with the aim of disseminating the history of Catalonia. It is housed in the former general warehouse in the old port, the Port Vell, which was built in 1901 and is known as the
Palau del Mar.
