Post 1701: beauty in the old shipyard
A bit of HDR today, as it brings this structure so well to the light.
This is the ancient shipyard, where they used to build galleons and other wooden marvels. It is now, centuries later, the marvelous maritime museum, aka MMB.
Laia
The Santa Eulalia, part of the Maritime Museum, and named after the patron saint of Barcelona. Everybody calls them, the saint and the ship, Laia.
Ritter Johann von Österreich’s Real
Ritter Johann von Österreich, aka Don Juan de Austria, in English John of Austria, an illegitimate son of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, had this gem built here, in the Barcelona Drassanes shipyards. With its 60 meters lenght, the Real was the largest galley of its time, and Don Juan’s flagship in the battle of Lepanto, in 1571, when a fleet of the Holy League, an alliance of Christian powers of the Mediterranean, decisively defeated an Ottoman fleet under Grand Admiral Müezzinzade Ali Pasha.
In 1971, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the battle, a replica of La Real was built and displayed in the Museu Marítim in Barcelona where it can be viewed today. The ship was 60 m long and 6.2 m wide, had two masts, and weighed 237 tons empty. It was equipped with three heavy and six light artillery pieces, was propelled by a total of 290 rowers and, in addition, carried some 400 sailors and soldiers at Lepanto. 50 men were posted on the upper deck of the forecastle, 50 on the midships ramp, another 50 each along the sides at the bow, 50 each on the skiff and oven platforms, 50 on the firing steps along the sides near the stern, and 50 more on the stern platform behind the huge battle flag. To help move and maneuvre the huge ship, it was pushed from the rear during the battle by two other galleys.
Befitting a royal flagship, it was luxuriously ornamented and painted in the red and gold colors of Spain. Its poop was elaborately carved and painted with numerous sculptures, bas-reliefs, paintings and other embellishments, most of them evoking religious and humanistic inspirational themes.
Pretty granny!
She is 94 years old, and she is so pretty! The schooner Santa Eulalia, proud property of the Maritime Museum in Barcelona. She is usually moored nearby, this is the first time I’ve actually seen her sailing.
100 years later….
Theme day: wood
Today is CDP theme day, with the theme: wood.
This is replica of the submarine Ictineo 1, launched in the port of Barcelona on September 23rd, 1859.
More info here.
Merry-go-round
A nice one, seen last summer next to the IMAX cinema and the Aquarium. It seems to be a very popular place, usually, not as empty as it was the day I took the picture! There is an icecream stand next to it as well.
The weather was wonderful. Right now, we’re having a ‘siberian’ cold wave, according to the papers, with temperatures as low as 5 degrees centigrade……….
Floating candles
Floating candles, from the Maritime Museum shop.
Port Vell Marina
Amongst the many urban regeneration plans the municipality here had to welcome the 1992 Olympics was the transformation of the Port Vell, or Old Port. Once an industrial waste site, full of rusting machines, ruined warehouses, chemicals all over the place, it is now one of the places you go on a weekend. Several cinemas, restaurant, the Maremagnum shopping mall, one of the biggest aquariums in Europe. All this on an purpose built artificial island. And, of course, the Marina. More about it here.
AMERICA!!!
This is a special post for all my friends and followers in the Americas, on a very special day. 40 years ago today, Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the Moon. I actually remember watching it on television. I was 8. This is the event which probably started my lifelong passion for science fiction.
Another traveler came back from his first trip to another unknown place, America. Barcelona is the place where he was received by the Catholic Kings of Spain.
A 7 meters high statue stands now on top of a 47.10 m high cast iron column, in the port area, just next to the ferry terminal and the Maritime Museum. It was erected from 1882 to 1888, the year it was dedicated.
Much more about the Cristobal Colon Monument here.
73 museums in Barcelona, many of them free… It’s like paradise for me!
Amongst them, a truly beautiful Maritime Museum. The picture was taken from inside what used to be the royal shipyard. Fantastic building.
But not just ships and boats! Toutankamon will be amongst us this summer, and he will be residing in the Maritime Museum.
Want to know more? You can find it here.
Barcelona Daily Photo 