The aim of this initiative is to collect stories involving Via Laietana, a particular street of Barcelona which is changing fast through time, and to be a reference place to come and share the memories. Here you will find the history of the street from its beginnings, an interactive map with the old shops which used to be located at Via Laietana, audio recordings where you can listen to memories and stories from local people, and mapped images with external links to go further and know about some of the issues shown.

We would like you to engage with the project and participate with your own memories and experiences, so feel free to contact us and collaborate, we need your help!

Interactive map of Via Laietana

Click the pointers and every number will give you all the information we have collected about this exact location of the street. If you think you can collaborate with new information please let us know!

History

Via Laietana is a new street, considering that it didn't exist in the 19th century. It is located at the city center of Barcelona, and since the old city had very narrow and dark streets and a poor hygiene by that time, Via Laietana seemed to be the solution to let the city breathe and let some sun shine on the ground. Furthermore, the city needed a big street to connect with the sea and with the harbour. So about 800 buildings were demolished in 1910 to leave enough width to draw the new street and to build new houses. The whole process was named 'La reforma' and it had, of course, its detractors among politicians and residents. Here you can see a map of Barcelona with a before/after view of the area.

Via Laietana was named after the 'Laietans', an ancient village found by Romans when they arrived at the area. In 1910 the city council took advantage of the works and allowed the underground, which was built by then, to run under the street. You can visit the gallery and have a look at some pictures of the street works.

Audio recordings

Here you can listen to some neighbors talking about their memories and thoughts about the street, its foundation, the works, the old shops and business run there... We encourage you to participate and give your opinion as well. Please contact me if you think you own valuable information about Via Laietana.

Dr. Gonzalo Quintero (Professor of Criminal Law at Universitat Rovira i Virgili), born at the neighborhood
Dr. Quintero explains the origins of Via Laietana and mentions all the places he can remember from his childhood: the shops, the bars, the public spaces... He mentions Farmàcia Marquès, Can Vilardell, Bar Nice, Bar La Glòria, La Casa dels Velers, Hisenda, Edifici dels Sindicats...

Xevi Noè (IT manager at SENER S.L.), worked at the neighborhood
Xevi mentions the traffic noise and the majestous buildings of the street.

Gallery

Visit the interactive gallery and have a look at some old pictures of Via Laietana. Some of the enlarged images are mapped so you can click in some areas if you want more information on the issues shown.