Mass Tourism Kills the Neighborhood

 

What happens when you sell real estate to an investor with no personal ties to the community?

What happens when the investor rents apartments to young tourists who party like the wholesome frat boys of "Animal House"?

What happens when the young party animals socialize like there is no tomorrow on a daily basis and disrupt the peaceful nature of a community?

What happens is a sign like in the photo.

Santa Caterina Market

Barcelona is loaded and I mean loaded with markets in just about each of the neighborhoods. We happen to stumble quite by accident on Santa Caterina Market which would delight you in every way.

Santa Caterina Market

Below is a picture of the billboard in the market's entry way. I have made a translation but, Catalan is not one of my strong languages. Come to think of it, neither is my native English.

If there are any mistakes, please feel free to let me know.

Santa Caterina Market,

Barcelona, 2006

Santa Caterina Market: traditional and modern

In 1268, on the location where Santa Caterina market stands now there was a convent and school run by the Order of Dominicana dels Predicadors. In 1835, the convent and the church were totally destroyed by fire.

In 1844 construction of the market began and completed in 1848. Santa Caterina was the first enclosed market in the city.

In 1997 there began the process of modernizing and remodeling the market but keeping as much as the integrity of the old market as possible. The market was completed in 2005.

The market was designed by Enric Miralles/Benedetta Tagliabue and opened to the public on May 10, 2005.

The market has incorporated new and modern services: an underground loading dock, cameras through out the commercial establishment, controlled climate and new commercial mixtures of avant-garde boutiques around the perimeter of the mall.

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View barcalunacy's Santa Caterina Market photoset.