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We left Barcelona for Tortosa. Mark organized our journey, solving a complex puzzle of locations and schedules, and making sure we would be able to visit as many places as possible in the most efficient way in the time we had. The itinerary Mark developed made our ride to Tortosa become a rich experience which allowed me to have a comprehensive view of the towns we visited, their history and their culture.

Our first stop was in the “Arc de Bara”, a triumphal arch built by the Romans in the 1st century BC, recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Then, we headed to Torredembarra, a small town located near Tarragona, which was important in maritime trade with the Americas in the 18th century and was the birthplace of important figures, such as Juan Güell, father of Eusebi Güell, the famous patron of Antoni Gaudi. We took the opportunity to stroll through the old town, which is surrounded by walls built in the Middle Ages, where we admired several ancient buildings, such as the City Tower and the Church of San Pere.

The next stop was in Altafulla, another small town located a few kilometers away. From the road, we could see the Castle and the Church of San Martí, which started being built in the 12th century and underwent several changes until it took on its current form in the 17th century. We took another pleasant stroll, passing by the castle, the church, the Plaza del Pou and the Monument to the Castellers, the famous human towers characteristic of Catalonia that were declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

We then drove across the “Pont Penjant”, a suspension bridge that is an icon of the town of Amposta. Built at the beginning of the 20th century, it is a masterpiece of civil engineering. The bridge crosses the Ebro River and, in the past, played an important role in the communication between Barcelona and Valencia. During the Spanish Civil War, it was destroyed by the Italian Legionary Aviation, an ally of Franco’s, and was only rebuilt after the war.

It was then time to head to the Ebro Delta Natural Park, where we visited the Ecomuseum. There, we learned about the characteristic fauna and flora of the region, as well as about the traditional activities and the typical architecture of this unique and environmentally relevant area.

We then arrived in Tortosa, an ancient town crossed by the Ebro River. The region has been inhabited since the time of the Iberians, who were succeeded first by the Romans and then by the Muslims. The town experienced periods of splendor after its conquest by Ramón Berenguer IV in 1148 and during the Renaissance. At the beginning of the 15th century, it hosted the famous “Disputa de Tortosa”, the most important theological debate between Christians and Jews in the Spanish Middle Ages. Finally, it was one of the scenes of the Battle of the Ebro, during the Spanish Civil War, when it was practically destroyed. 

After checking into the “Parador de Tortosa”, located in the old “Castle de la Zuda”, we set off on our tour of the town. Our first stop was the old fortress, from whose walls we could enjoy fantastic views of the town and the Ebro River. Afterwards, we walked along various sections of the town walls. We then passed by the old slaughterhouse, a masterpiece by Pau Manguó, an exponent of Catalan Modernism. Built in the early 20th century, it now houses the Tortosa Museum and the Lands of Ebro Tourism Office. Next, we visited the Cathedral of Santa Maria de Tortosa and its cloister, and the Episcopal Palace, built in the traditional style of Catalan Gothic civil architecture from the 14th and 15th centuries. We then stopped on the banks of the Ebro, where we analyzed the monument commemorating the Battle of Ebro, built by the Franco regime to celebrate its victory over the Republican forces in the Spanish Civil War. We also walked by the Municipal Market of Tortosa, another emblematic modernist building, work of Joan Abril and Joan Torras, built at the end of the 19th century. Continuing our tour of Tortosa, Mark made a brief stop at the medieval Llotja, a 14th-century building, where he took the opportunity to explain to me the tradition of the “Gigantes” (giants) and “Cabeçudos” (big-headed) of Tortosa, huge puppets that represent Christian and Muslim characters and parade through the town during the Renaissance Festival, which recreates a 16th-century atmosphere in the town. Finally, on our way back to the Parador, we were able to admire several other modernist buildings and the Reales Colegios de Tortosa, with their amazing Renaissance gates.

It was a true lesson in history and architecture, in which Mark demonstrated vast knowledge of the many subjects that arose. What is also noteworthy is his ability to connect the diverse topics covered in the tours, and to correlate what we saw in the different sites we visited. All these skills combined allowed him to convey a huge amount of information in a light and entertaining way.
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Henry
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<div class="label label--neutral-gray-068" content="2024-08-01 14:55:58 UTC" itemprop="datePublished">
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My visit to Barcelona began with a tour at Mont Serrat Benedictine Monastery, located on the outskirts of the city.

On the way there, Mark took the opportunity to talk about the origins and long history of the Monastery, from its early construction in the Middle Ages, through its destruction by French troops during the Peninsular War, to its reconstruction during the Franco dictatorship.

We stopped in Martorell to visit the “Pont del Diable”, originally built by the Romans in the 1st century BC, and in Bruch, to admire the statue of the “Timbaler del Bruch”, a work by Frederic Marès, which pays homage to the legendary figure of the Peninsular War.

Upon arriving at the monastery, after an explanation of its current function and the traditional pilgrimages to the sanctuary, we began by visiting the museum, which houses a collection that encompasses archaeological materials from the Near East, paintings by artists such as Tiepolo, El Grecco and Caravaggio, and works of modern painting by artists such as Monet, Sisley, Pissarro, Ramon Casas and Picasso. The visit was made even more interesting by Mark’s noteworthy knowledge of art history, which he kindly and enthusiastically shared with me, drawing my attention to details I would never have noticed by myself.

Next, we visited the Basilica. This was an opportunity for Mark to explore the legend surrounding the creation of the Monastery, which is said to have been built around a cave where, in 880, the image of Our Lady of Mont Serrat, patron saint of Catalonia, was found. Thus, armed with this knowledge, we went to visit the famous statue, which was quite an impactful experience. Throughout our visit, Mark diligently explored all the architectural peculiarities of the Basilica. A special treat was getting to see some beautiful pieces by one of my favorite sculptors: Josep Subirachs, best known for the statues he sculpted for the Sagrada Familia.

To end our tour, we took one of the funiculars that serve the Monastery to take a short trail to one of the many hermitages located in the surroundings of the sanctuary. At this point, Mark and I discussed various aspects related to the region&#39;s natural environment, including the peculiar geological formations that characterize the Mont Serrat mountains, and evidently took in the breathtaking views from the mountain.

On the way back to Barcelona, we chatted about the events of the day in Mont Serrat and about our plans for the days to come. 

As always happens when I tour with Mark, I learnt a lot in a very pleasant way!
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Henry
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<div class="label label--neutral-gray-068" content="2024-08-01 14:55:01 UTC" itemprop="datePublished">
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David did a great job taking us through the museum. He was very enthusiastic and explained the exhibits very well. Highly recommend!
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Melissa vangelis
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