In Vallbona, at the north end of the city, the water of the Rec Comtal flows down in the open, as it did centuries ago, and some local residents still use it to water their allotments and vegetable gardens. This irrigation canal, which was in use until the 19TH century, was the main means of supplying water to Barcelona for nearly a thousand years. Today, taking a stroll by the water’s edge is a real delight.
A thousand years of water to barcelona
The Rec Comtal was an open canal built in the time of Count Miró I, in the middle of the 10th century. For nearly a millennium it was a vital artery to Barcelona that was used to water fields, power water mills and, later, the textile mills of Sant Andreu.
The Rec Comtal took water from Montcada i Reixac, crossed the whole of Ciutat Vella and emptied into the sea. It is known that it was cleaned regularly and that many bridges crossed it over almost 12 kilometres, the distance it covered. The side walls were made of stone from Montjuïc and the bottom from natural earth. Visitors to the Born Centre Cultural can see the remains of its passage though the Ribera quarter.
Strolling through history
Today the open stretch of the Rec Comtal flows through a peaceful green setting, away from the bustle of the city. The clear water is home to fish, frogs, ducks and swans.
Cultural heritage
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Nou Barris
Vallbona -
Sant Andreu
Sant Andreu
- Address:
- C Oristà, 16
- Districte:
- Nou Barris
- Neighborhood:
- Vallbona
- City:
- Barcelona
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