Barcelona's industrial heritage is immense. While the town has been renovated over the years and many buildings have been demolished and replaced in the name of modernity, it still retains many reminders of its industrial past.
Let's delve into the past of the Catalan capital and discover how some old factories still only have their chimneys, while others have been transformed to combine the past with the present.
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Located at Passeig de Gràcia 24 bis, this restaurant is a particularly grandiose example of the restoration and transformation of buildings in Barcelona. This temple to gastronomy, with its unique decor and innovative concept, has been established in a landmark location in the Catalan capital. Dating back to 1889, the building has been used as a café-theatre, an ink factory, a car dealership during the Civil War, a garage and is now a meeting point for many Barcelonians.
This former factory, located at Calle Serge 24-32, was built in 1903 in an area that until then had been predominantly agricultural. Compañía Anónima de Hilaturas Fabra i Coats was mainly dedicated to textile manufacturing. Today, the structure retains its industrial spirit and houses art exhibitions. Since 2012, it has been home to a contemporary art centre run by MACBA.
Set up in 1880 by the Batlló brothers to fend off the anarchist attacks that were then taking place in the École Industrielle area, this former textile factory, which at the time covered more than nine hectares, still has several of its 19 buildings and its imposing 47-metre-high chimney. The site is now run by locals and is open to everyone, with a range of social and cultural activities. To get in on the action, head to Calle de la Constitución 25.
The Antigua Fábrica Damm, also known as La Bohemia, is located at Calle Roselló 515. Built in 1905, it was used until 1992 to produce Damm beer. A meeting point for many Barcelonians, it is now a venue for cultural and leisure events.
In the Plaça del Poble Romaní, in the Gracia district, you can see the only surviving chimney of the former Vapor Puigmartí textile factory, which operated from 1839 to 1876. Two inscriptions can still be seen at the base of the chimney: one evoking its founder, the other Gato Pérez, an emblematic figure of the city.
The only remaining structure of this factory on Calle de Batrina, founded in 1896 by the Mateu brothers and specialising in the production of cotton and wool, is the chimney. It is very well known to literature lovers, as the history of the company and the redundancies of the oldest workers inspired the writer Ignasi Iglésias to write his work Els vells, published in 1903. Today, its chimney stands guard over the houses that have sprung up around it.
On your return journey, whether you're immersed in a book by Ignasi Iglésias or just want to watch the scenery unfold before your eyes, you can relax on board a Renfe high-speed train.
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