Tower at Barcelona Fair Venue near Montjuic

This small tower is part of Fira de Barcelona (Barcelona Fair) venue. Easily spotted at the foot of the elevators leading to MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalonia) in the Palau Nacional, these beautiful towers are on almost every corner of the palaces on each side of the staircase. If you climb up till the museum you will appreciate the little turrets better and enjoy a panoramic view of Barcelona.

The Fira of Barcelona compound exists thanks to the celebration of 1929 International Exposition (World's Fair) at the slope of Montjuic hill. From that time are: Palau Nacional, the famous Font Màgica fountains full of colors and firecrackers during La Mercé celebrations (September 24th), Mies Van der Rohe Pavilion (rebuilt), the Olympic Stadium (remodeled) or Poble Espanyol. Here is another picture of a different tower.

Sant Miquel del Fai Church near Barcelona: Bell Detail

How many times have this old bell tolled since medieval times?...Located at one of the walls along the corridor where the cloister of Sant Miquel del Fai Romanic church used to be, the bells (there are two) are silent witnesses of centuries of quietness and meditation under the cliffs that overlook river Tenes and neighbouring towns of Bigues and Riells.

Check my previous post for more Sant Miquel del Fai information.

Sant Miquel del Fai near Barcelona: Priory House

Sant Miquel del Fai is a natural park situated in a valley basin about 35 kms away from Barcelona. You can go there by bus or by car, and you have to pay for the entrance (6€ more or less). Besides the incredible view of caves, small waterfalls falling at river Tenes and the imposing sedimentary rock cliffs, it features the Romanic hermitage of Sant Martí already important by the IVth Century, the Sant Miquel Church buried inside a grotto and a monastery known as the Priory House (closer look), built upon an enormous legde in the mountain walls at the beginnings of the XVth Century. Because of the geological nature of the park, this zone is rich in Neolithic archeological findings, mainly remnants of Iberian settlements.

Google Earth Satellite Picture of Sant Miquel del Fai near Barcelona.