Roman Monumental Influences

As I looked around the museum, it was apparent that the way Barcelona was built was influenced by the Roman architecture. In ancient Rome, bricks were used to build most of the buildings, walkways and streets. Today, Barcelona’s streets are built from bricks, which resembles the way the Romans built their streets. Furthermore, the Roman streets were narrow, which also holds true for the way the Barcelona streets were built. The Roman sewer systems are built in the same way that the sewer system would be built in Barcelona today. The system follows a pattern that coincides with how the streets were built. Although the public baths from ancient Roman times were common during that time, they are not very common in Barcelona’s society today. The Roman columns throughout the exhibit really stood out to me. These columns were built to sustain the Roman buildings, not just for decoration. Although many buildings in Barcelona have columns that look similar to the ones used in ancient Rome, they are not often used as the main base for buildings.

Roman Religion

In the beginning of Spanish culture, polytheism was widely practiced throughout the peninsula. The Spanish people focused on believing in spirits, such as ones that were there to protect themselves and their extended family. They believed in different spirits for different aspects of their life, including a God for food and a God for protection. As time went on, Spain converted to Catholicism, which is why the city is built around a cathedral. With the influx of Catholicism came the worshipping of one God, commonly known as monotheism.

Construction Similarities

Today, Catalan buildings contain many of the same features as the buildings seen in ancient Roman times. The most prominent feature I noticed was the narrow streets built throughout the ancient city and the city of Barcelona today. Additionally, the front of certain Catalan buildings has columns on them. Although these columns may not be used for the same purposes as the Romans had, they still identify closely with the decorative look they have. These columns can also be seen in many American buildings, such as the White House. These columns signify political importance, which could be a reason as to why the Romans used them, the Catalans use them for parliamentary buildings and the Americans use them for the President’s home.

Domestic Objects

There was a plethora of domestic objects inside of the museum, such as utensils, vases and bowls. These objects were commonly used inside the home to prepare and eat meals. Additionally, there were laundry rooms used in the ancient civilization. This surprised me because I was under the impression that during those times, people just used water to clean their clothing. Furthermore, there were coins in the museum that the people had used during ancient times. This suggests that the people did more than just bartering to receive new goods, which surprised me because I didn’t realize how early people started using objects to suggest specific objects held monetary value.

Gods’ Relation to Food and Wine

When the Romans followed a polytheistic religion, they often used food and wine to feel connected to the Gods. They used specific foods and wines during celebrations of the Gods. Although today Catholicism takes precedent in Spain, specific foods and wines are used to celebrate holidays. Wine has become a very common drink throughout Spain, even allowing children to drink it from a very young age.  One of the most popular red wines in Spain is Tempranillo, known for its in-the-middle taste. One of the most popular white wines in Spain is Airen, known for its high alcohol content.