The secrets of Poble-Sec: from a rural and military area to a working-class neighborhood and recreational space

• Past Tours

DATE: February 6 at 10-12h

Poble-Sec (Sants district), with its network of narrow, disorderly and steep streets on the slopes of Montjuïc, is one of the most cosmopolitan and “characterful” neighborhoods of the city. Until the mid-nineteenth century Poble-Sec was a rural area, full of vegetable gardens and farmers’ huts. But in the second half of the century, the landscape began to change with the installation of large textile factories, which used up the abundant underground water -this is the origin of the name, Poble-Sec-, and the construction of housing for poor families, many of whom came from the rest of Catalonia and Spain.

With the creation of Paral-lel, Poble-sec also became a leisure area, with some of the most famous theaters, cabarets and cafés of its time. The arrival of Franco’s regime put an end to the golden age of the boulevard, which began a long and slow decline. Today, Carrer Blai – full of bars and terraces – and the quiet Plaça del Sortidor are the main hubs of social activity in the neighborhood.

MAXIMUM 10 PEOPLE

GUIDE: TONI BELLIDO