Introduction
Until 1860, the year when Barcelona broke the siege of its walls, the city was only the hexagon of the 15th century enclosure, currently the Old Town, delimited by the rounds of Sant Pau, Sant Antoni, Universitat, and Sant Pere, by the promenade of Lluís Companys, the Marquès de l'Argentera avenue, the Columbus promenade, and the Parallel avenue. La Rambla, then the only wide street in the heart of the city, was an ancient stream that owes its current name to the Arabic word ramla, which means sand.
Until the beginning of the 18th century, La Rambla was a path and a stream lined with convents and walls. In 1704, houses began to be built in the space occupied by the walls (around La Boquería) and trees were planted. The part of the walls adjacent to the Atarazanas was demolished in 1775, and towards the end of the 18th century, the street was urbanized, and La Rambla was turned into a promenade.
From its beginning at the highest point, next to Plaça Catalunya, to its end at the foot of the Columbus monument, this unique path takes five names that characterize it: first, we have what is called La Rambla de Canaletas, a popular name given to it because of the Canaletas Fountain, located at this point since ancient times. According to popular belief, whoever drinks from this fountain will always return to Barcelona. The stretch of La Rambla that follows is called La Rambla de los Estudios, a name given by the building constructed in the mid-15th century: The Estudi General or University. This Barcelona University was suppressed by Philip V, and the building was converted into barracks. It was demolished in 1843. We continue down towards the sea and reach the part called La Rambla de las Flores (also known as Rambla de Sant Josep, after the old Sant Josep convent), the only place in Barcelona in the 19th century where flowers were sold and which today is preserved as a promenade, unique in the world of its kind. The next stretch is called La Rambla del Centro, also known as La Rambla de los Capuchinos, after the old Capuchin friars' convent. Finally, we reach the last section of La Rambla, called La Rambla de Santa Mònica, the gateway to the port, where the parish church stands, giving it its name and which was, at its time, a convent of the Barefoot Augustinians.
