Pedralbes Monastery.
We’ve just come back from our third trip to Barcelona.
Apple Photos is telling me I took 1,300 pictures with my iPhone. (only about 15 more than last year!)
I haven’t looked at many yet, but it’s Thursday and NORM’S THURSDAY DOORS are calling me to action.
I’m featuring one of the many individual-cell doors around the cloisters of the Gothic Monastery of Pedralbes.
Cell Door 1 ©HelenBushe
The monastery dates back to 1326 and this lock might just do so too:
Cell Door 1 : Lock ©HelenBushe
As might its handle:
Cell Door 1: Handle ©HelenBushe
I would say: “Oh if only doors could talk. What tales they could tell!”
But these doors do whisper stories……
…….but only lovers of doors can hear and understand them.
Let this description from Wikipedia set the scene for your imagination:
Pedralbes Monastery was founded by King James II of Aragon for his wife Elisenda de Montcada in 1326. It housed a community of Poor Clares, mostly members of noble families. The queen gave the monastery a series of privileges, including the direct protection of the city of Barcelona, through the Consell de Cent (“Council of the Hundred”), who had the task to defend it in case of danger. Elisenda also built a palace annexed to the monastery, where she lived after her husband’s death in 1327. She died there in 1367. The remains of the palace were discovered in the 1970s.
During the Catalan Revolt (1640), the nuns were expelled, but later returned. A small number of nuns still reside in the complex.
Thanks to Norm for his inspiration.
Thanks to Manja for co-hosting while Norm is travelling to Rome, where he’ll perhaps see a door or two.
Thanks for visiting PHOTOPHILE
17 Comments
Marga Demmers · 18 September 2018 at 15:35
Great photos that remind me of our visit a long time ago. Then we heard the nuns singing in their own quarters behind closed doors. It was a magical moment. But with our without their singing, you feel the history of the building.
HMB · 18 September 2018 at 15:40
Thanks Marga. I have a lot more photos of this wonderful place. It was so quiet that I could well imagine it hundreds of years ago. So glad it’s off the main tourist trail.
Marga Demmers · 18 September 2018 at 15:45
You are quite right. At the moment I hesitate to go back to Barcelona because of the crowds of tourists, although I am one too of course. Did it bother you or did you manage to evade them doing these kinds of visits?
HMB · 18 September 2018 at 15:55
No, we didn’t visit any of the main tourist attractions as we had visited them before, each one early morning as soon as they opened. So many back streets in Gothic Quarter to wander around. Also found Betlem church off Ramblas and stayed for Eucharist. Palau Guëll wasn’t too busy either.
Sant Pau del Camp was on our list too, but it was closed as area was flash-flooded that morning, but surrounding area was fascinating.
What a vibrant city!
Marga Demmers · 18 September 2018 at 15:59
So you have to go back there to see Sant Pau del Camp (great excuse)! Yes the city is full of life and interesting things to see and experience. My to-do-list is rather long, as my last visit was a couple of years ago. Maybe next spring?
HMB · 18 September 2018 at 16:01
Hope you do get back soon. We thought this visit (our third in three years) might be our last……but…..I have a feeling Barca will beckon once more.
Photography Journal Blog · 18 September 2018 at 08:10
The detail shots are interesting, but my favorite in this case is that first photo.
HMB · 18 September 2018 at 15:44
Thank you . I have a lot of pictures of the cloisters and the inner courtyard as well as the cobbled street leading up to the monastery. I’ll be posting these later on.
Photography Journal Blog · 19 September 2018 at 08:30
Cool 🙂
Norm 2.0 · 14 September 2018 at 02:06
These are some wonderful shots. Whenever I see things that are this old I always find myself a little moved and a lot humbled. Looking forward to seeing what else you have your files for us too 🙂
HMB · 14 September 2018 at 15:24
Thanks Norm. You’ll find loads like this when you come to Europe. Can’t wait to see what You and Manja find.
bushboy · 13 September 2018 at 23:27
Love the door hardware
HMB · 14 September 2018 at 15:24
Thank you. I’m pleased you do.
Manja Mexi Movie · 13 September 2018 at 23:05
Ooo, I’d love to be a little bug browsing your Barcelona doors in your devices. 😀 Haven’t been yet!
Thank you for the mention but I’m not co-hosting yet this week, it was just a preparation. 🙂 Haven’t yet got the final word from the man, but there will probably be more co-hosts for the three weeks while he is away and I’m showing him doors in person. 😉
HMB · 14 September 2018 at 15:27
I’ll fix mention re hosting on my blog.
Wow! The North American Master of Doors meeting with his counterpart in Europe. I’d like to be that pesky little fly on your camera case you just can’t get rid of,
Junieper/Jesh stG · 13 September 2018 at 22:34
Wow, what if you didn’t have a phone:):) Love the row of arches! Do you know why the nuns were expelled? What could possibly their sin?
HMB · 14 September 2018 at 15:29
Thanks for visiting. I reckon the nuns must have supported the wrong side of the conflict during the Catalan uprising in 17th Century……… or maybe some etching much worse…….only the doors know.