Museums & exhibition centres
On 13th February 1937, Barcelona was subjected to the first of the 192 bombing raids by Franco"s army. This attack made the civilian population the unwitting protagonists of the war. The Passive Defence Board was set up in order to tackle the situation and save the lives of the local residents. The first shelters were set up in the basements of houses and in metro stations. However, as the bombings intensified, people joined together to build air-raid shelters.
The CCCB is one of the major infrastructures from the 1990s. All its activities focus on the theme of the city and urban phenomena, analysed from every point of view and cultural discipline.
The Centre Arts Santa Mònica is housed in the former convent of Santa Mònica (18th century). It stands close to the sea on an unbeatable site: La Rambla.
Beneath the Gothic Quarter's landmark square in Barcelona lies an impressive archaeological site, which offers visitors a glimpse of what the Roman colony of Barcino was like.
The Museum Marítim is located by the waterfront in one of Barcelona's finest landmark buildings: the
Reials Drassanes, the medieval shipyards which are a unique example of civic Gothic architecture.
