Josep Torras i Bages was born in 1846 in Sant Valentí of Cabanyes, town of the Alt Penedès. As a young man he studied philosophy at the University of Barcelona and theology at the seminary of Vic and Barcelona. He excelled as a writer, philosopher and ecclesiastic. In 1877 he was ordained as a priest of the city of Girona, and a year later he was a delegate to the Catalan entities in charge of drafting the Principles of Manresa (Bases de Manresa), which claimed the devolution of the Catalan constitutions. Later on, he addressed a communiqué to the Catalan bishops recommending the establishment of the use of Catalan in churches, which at the time used Spanish as the lingua franca. In 1892, he published what would become his most important book, Catalan Tradition (La Tradició Catalana), of a moderately conservative text in which the soul of Catalonia is analyzed from a historic and philosophic point of view, examining the leading figures of Catalan culture, such as Ramon Llull, Francesc Eiximenis, Ausìas Marc or Jaume Balmes.
EL BURRO CHILANGO carrer del Cinca, 86 Phone 933 458 008 www.elburrochilango.com Traditional Mexican food made with imported goods, in a coloured and original place.
BOMBO MARACANÁ plaça de Mossèn Clapés, 23 Phone 933 466 301 Brazilian bar where excellent caipirinhas are served! Closed on Wednesdays.
JARDINS DE LA CASA BLOC carrer d’Eiximenis / carrer de Valentí Iglésias A cluster of homes with a gardened area in the center which was inaugurated in 1932. This cluster of houses, a work done by the architect Josep Lluís Sert and Josep Torres Clavé, is one of the best examples of Rationalist Architecture that can be found in the city.
PIS-MUSEU DE LA CASA BLOC vivienda 1/11 de la casa Bloc www.dhub-bcn.cat/es/exposicion/casa-bloc This block of apartments was designed by the architects Josep Lluís Sert and Josep Torras Clavé. This is an example of the kind of cohabitation they tried to find in the name of a collective identity. The apartment was adapted to show the work of some architects.
LES CASERNES For almost 70 years from 1929 to 1998, this area of Sant Andreu was a military area. Now it is undergoing some changes: 2000 houses will be built and the 60% of them will be public, 41000 m2 will be parks and green areas and finally, 36000 m2 are destined to equipments, which some of them have already been built, like the police station and the health and social centre Cuarteles.
LES CARASSES Passeig de Torras i Bages, 108 This old farm was built in XVII century and since 1931 it houses tha facilities of the School Ignasi Iglésias. It takes the name from the terracotta figures on its façade.
CASAL DE JOVES DE PROSPERITAT carrer Rio de Janeiro, 100 http://cjprospe.net www.ctv.es/USERS/cjprospe In this ancestral house of the district there are carried out many courses, workshops and concerts of local bands.