Capuchinos Promenade
The Rambla de los Capuchinos, also known as Rambla del Centro, begins at the Pla del Boquería - the space between Hospital Street, the Liceo Theater, and the entrance to Boquería Street - and goes to the Theater Square. This stretch of La Rambla is the part that was first a promenade for all those who, in the morning, would meet with friends, giving this street a popular atmosphere. On nights when there was an opera performance, the promenade was transformed with the presence of the Catalan bourgeoisie coming out of the Liceo.
Starting our journey from Pla del Boquería, we find a section of the pavement decorated by Joan Miró on the ground. To the right, the new Liceo Theater, faithfully reconstructed following the model of the old theater that disappeared in the fire on January 31, 1994, and after crossing Union Street, we come across the Hotel Oriente building dating back to 1882. The architects Eduard Fontseré and Juli Mariscal took advantage of the old San Buenaventura school, a work by Pere Serra (17th century). Next to the hotel is located the barracks of the Urban Guard of District I, and a few meters into Nueva de la Rambla Street, we find Palau Güell, a work by Antoni Gaudí, initiated in 1885 and completed in 1889. The facade is made of white stone with modernist elements, and inside, special mention should be made of the monumental marble staircase leading to the upper hall, a space that vertically crosses the entire building, like a covered patio that receives light from the high dome and indirectly through windows with columned lattice.
Opposite the Liceo, we have Boquería Street, known for its traditional trade of antique shops, and the Café de la Ópera, in front of the area where the new Liceo Theater stands, one of the oldest cafes preserved in Barcelona, inaugurated in 1929. Next comes Ferran Street, which leads us to Plaza de San Jaime.
On the corner of La Rambla and Ferran Street was the old Beristain armory in 1936, which later became a notable sports goods store (now disappeared), known for the elegant structure of its facade.
Continuing forward, we find the entrance to Plaza Real, which, like most public spaces, squares, or markets, had been convents or religious buildings. This square occupies the site of the old Capuchin convent since 1848, when the architect and urban planner Francesc Daniel Molina created it.
At the end of the century, the iron fountain of Les Tres Gracias was installed; the two streetlights of the fountain, an early work by Gaudí, have arms that start from different heights, as if they wanted to imitate tree branches. Palm trees contribute to its characteristic atmosphere. The square has been renovated several times, the last one by Antoni Milà and Federico Correa, between 1982 and 1983.
It still retains some of the old establishments of the 19th-century style. Going to the right, in the southern corner, is the romantic Passage Bacardí, opened in 1856, crossed by an iron bridge that originally had stained glass painted with tropical landscapes. The porches of the northern corner have become a famous place for beer consumption.
We return to La Rambla and go down a bit. We arrive at the Theater Square, where the last stretch of La Rambla begins: Rambla de Santa Mónica.
