Guild Area Field Trip

This field trip was a fun one.  We were able to get a feeling of what the life was for the working class of Barcelona during the 13th century era.  This area was for all industry specialists in Barcelona.  These specialties ranged from clothing washers, to wool weavers, silversmiths, and so on.  This area for the guild people was created when the walls of Barcelona were extended by Peter III at the beginning of the 13th century.

I thought it was very cool that you were able to tell what guild you were standing out front of by looking at the tile sign/picture by each particular door.  For example, there is a picture of a woman washing clothes on the street dedicated to that guild.  What is most cool about these signs is that they are still outside modern day stores today.  This is just another example of how Barcelona preserves its rich and interesting history.

Another stop we made on this field trip was to one of the most famous churches in Barcelona: Santa Maria del Mar (translated Saint Maria of the Sea).  This church was built in the mid 1300s and a true testament to the guild area.  It was a church that all guilders could attend--socioeconomic status was not significant in this church.  The common folk who built this church are recognized on the church's main entrance door, where a man carrying a stone on his back is displayed.  This church was beautiful and exhibited the gothic style of architecture that was used at the time.

This field trip not only gave another perspective of a different lifestyle once obtained and used in Barcelona, but also shows the next step of how the progress of this city was moved forward.