Museu Marítim de Barcelona
The Maritime Museum of Barcelona is located inside the Barcelona Royal Shipyard that was used during from the late sixteenth century until the eighteenth century to build ships for the naval force. It was originally assumed that this was the first and only royal shipyard built in Barcelona, but it was actually the second. The first was built centuries earlier closer to the coast. The building had to be moved back when a groin was put in the bay and caused the coastline to erode. The new building was constructed in the thirteenth century under the rule of Peter III of Aragon. The architecture of the building resembles the Gothic style that was popular at the time with its high, pointed arches. The museum was founded in 1936. Over the years the museum has acquired various collections and exhibits that show Catalonia’s seafaring history, power, and culture. The most famous permanent collection is the full-scale replica of the royal galley of a ship. This original ship it was modeled after one that was used in the Battle of Lepanto and used by Juan of Austria. There is another ship 46 meters long with three masts docked in the nearby port, the Santa Eulália. This ship was used for trading throughout the Mediterranean Sea and was purchased by the museum in the late 1900s and refurbished. Visitors can buy tickets for evening cruises around the harbor.
The first exhibit that at the entrance is titled “Derelictes” or “Wreckage.” The artist, Eusebi Vila used pieces of driftwood from shipwrecks to create an imprint on paper. By pouring out a thick liquid paper onto a flat surface and then placing the wood in various patterns and shapes, the paper hardened around the wood. Some of the pieces of wood fell out or were pulled off the paper, but others remained. The impressionable paper and the wood become one in the artwork as the viewer is reminded that both materials come from the same sources. I enjoyed this exhibit because the cracked and imprinted paper made me think about how both the ships and the paper are made from the same materials and even though all ships seem strong and mighty, they too can break and change their form, much like paper.
Another exhibit is the “Fills de l’oceá” or “Sons of the Ocean.” This exhibit contained multiple digital images, taken by Javier Teniente, from around the world of different fishermen and the techniques and means they use to make a living. With global warming and the rising of ocean levels and temperatures, they are the first to be effected by the changing conditions. Commercial fishing has also influenced the ecosystem and the ability for traditional fishermen to remain competitive. Their livelihood is dependent on the ocean and the hope that it will provide a constant source of income and resources. These photos are vibrant and practically surreal compared to the preconceived perception of what a fisherman looks like. I was fascinated by the various techniques each country or region uses, such as sitting on thin sticks above the tide to fly fish in Sri Lanka. It reminded me that no matter how far we go, the sea always connects us.
I had a pleasant time looking around the museum and seeing how the ocean influenced the history and culture of Barcelona. Growing up along the coast, the ocean has, and will remain, a large part of my life. While I am not an experienced sailor, I do enjoy going sailing with my neighbor and feeling the wind effortlessly push the boat along the water.