Gràcia Bell Tower

The revolt of them Quintas with the Campanario de Gracia background.

Introduction:

In 1864, the architect Antoni Rovira i Trias (1816-1889) designed the the Gràcia Bell Tower, which is more than thirty meters high and is a civil bell tower, not a church one. It was raised due to the absence of a large bell tower in Gràcia and became a symbol of resistance and vindication of the neighbours shortly after its construction. The clock tower was built by the Swiss watchmaker Albert Billeter, who we will meet again at another stop on this itinerary.

Content:

In April 1870, village women built a bonfire near the bell tower, which had been built six years before, using records of Gràcia residents as fuel, which had been extracted from the Council, located just ahead. It was the Revolta de les Quintes (Call-up Revolt) which had spread through surrounding villages, and which hoped to avoid the drafting of one-fifth of the young men to be sent to the war in Cuba. Women did not want to, again, they bring their children or husbands. The Gràcia Bell, called "La Marieta", sounded the alarm non-stop during the riot. The army besieged the neighbourhood and repeatedly bombed the bell tower with the intention of silencing the bell, which, miraculously, did not fall. Six days later, the rebellion had ended and "La Marieta" and the bell tower became symbols of the revolutionary struggle of the neighbourhood. Mainly inhabited by workers and small business owners, Gràcia slowly became one of the most protested places in the city. Various revolts and revolutions occurred up until the Spanish Civil War. As for bell tower, it is an octagonal tower with a square base, a fountain, and reliefs of Zodiac signs. Inside, a spiral staircase, without a landing, leads to the clock's machinery and allows facilitates a magnificent view of the neighbourhood. The clock has four faces, four spheres which could be seen from every corner of the town.

More Information:

Video about Revolta de les Quintes from a recreation (2011). [in Catalan]

Rutes científiques de Barcelona