History of the Sant Gervasi Neighborhood

The Sant Gervasi Neighborhood

Sarrià-Sant Gervasi is one of the largest neighborhoods within the city of Barcelona and is located in the north-west of the city.  Sarrià-Sant Gervasi is encompassed by Les Corts, Gràcia, and Eixample.  The first written document about this neighborhood was found from the year 987 which dates Sant Gervasi back to the Roman colonies.  Although constant construction and addition of taller and more modern buildings has increased, Sant Gervasi still maintains its small village atmosphere with its narrow streets and old houses.  The Collserola mountain is part of the neighborhood and provides a popular yet unique place to hike and enjoy the beauty of Barcelona.  Atop the mountain stands the telecommunications tower Torre de Collserol, as well as the Catholic church Temple de Sagrat Cor, and most uniquely the amusement park where people of all ages can enjoy themselves. The church atop Tibidabo was designed by Enric Sagnier and took 60 years to construct.  On top of the church is a sculpture of the Sacred Heart by Josep Miret Llopart.  The amusement park on the mountain is the oldest in Barcelona and still retains some of its original attractions which date back to the turn of the twentieth century.  Tibidabo was also featured in Woody Allen's film Vicky Cristina Barcelona.  The origin of the name "Tibidabo" derives from the Bible when Satan tempts Jesus atop a high mountain, "All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them."  Therefore the name of Tibidabo refers to the popular tradition that the mountain is indeed in itself a very high mountain.

Not only is the district enriched with history but it is also enriched in people and wealth.  The Sant Gervasi neighborhood is one of the wealthiest in Barcelona and is full of private schools, clinics, and embassy villas. The neighborhood also has a number of public parks that one can stroll through on a lazy Sunday afternoon while bathing in the warm Mediterranean sun.  The most famous of these parks is Parc Güell designed by Antoni Gaudí.  When one visits Parc Güell one obtains the feeling of something monumental.  Once you cross the threshold into the park you almost enter a different world, one that was intelligently and uniquely designed by the genius Gaudí.  The dirt pathways lead you to an open area where a panoramic view of Barcelona displays the sheer beauty and size of the city.  The park is filled with Gaudí's works of mosaics and stone structures, the most famous is the long bench in the form of a sea serpent.  When designing the curvature of the bench Gaudí used the shape of the buttocks of a naked woman left in wet clay.  Another famous structure in the park is the mosaic lizard in the main courtyard.  This piece of art greatly depicts the style of Gaudí's mosaic work, although to many people's dismay the lizard was vandalized in 2007 but was soon restored to its original condition.