Contentious Laietana turns 100

Interestingly enough, via Laietana was born on carrer Ample, when King Alfons XIII symbolically broke ground, swinging a pick axe at 77 carrer Ample one hundred years ago, on March 10, 1908.
The plan to connect the city's old port with the new district of the Eixample with a modern, wide road was coloured with an urbanistic idealism. However, it also represented yet another point of friction between Barcelona's influential bourgeoisie and the working class: in this case the unfortunate residents of dark, constricting medieval neighbourhoods that would be razed to make way for the new artery. (Full story in printed edition).