Turó de la Rovira facts for kids

Turó de la Rovira is a hill that looks over the city of Barcelona. It stands 262 meters (about 860 feet) high. People have lived on or used this hill for a very long time, even since the Iberian era, which was around 400 years before Christ.

During the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), the hill was chosen as the best place to build an anti-aircraft battery. This battery was very important for defending Barcelona from air attacks. After the war, the military structures were left empty. People then used them as shelters. A shanty town called Els Canons grew up around these old structures. This shantytown lasted until the 1990s. Also, water tanks and communication towers were built on the hill. Some of these can still be seen today.

Ancient Iberian Settlement

In 1932, an archaeologist named Josep Colomines i Roca began digging on the top of Turó de la Rovira. He was looking for an Iberian settlement. During his digs, he found parts of a wall and some entrances. He also discovered many other interesting old objects.

Civil War Air Defenses

Airplanes became very important in wars after World War I. They greatly changed how the Spanish Civil War was fought. Bombing cities from the air was a way to hurt the enemy's war efforts. The Bombing of Barcelona was the first time a city was bombed so much and so often from the air.

Barcelona was easy to find because of its coastline. So, leaders decided to actively defend the city from air attacks. They wanted to stop or weaken enemy bombings. To find enemy planes, they used special observation and listening centers. They also had bright lights and early forms of radar to help find planes. To stop attacks, they used anti-aircraft guns and fighter planes.

Barcelona's air defense system placed gun batteries around the city. These batteries could shoot far enough to stop or disrupt attacks. The attacks were carried out by German and Italian Air Forces, who were helping Franco. Some batteries were near the waterfront, in places like Montjuïc and Poblenou. Another important battery was set up on Turó de la Rovira. Sometimes, batteries from the war fronts were moved to the city to help protect it even more.

Each battery had acoustic locators (sound detectors) and reflectors. These were protected by anti-aircraft guns. These batteries were known for their lights and sound. The battery on Turó de la Rovira had four large Vickers 105mm cannons. It also had a place to store ammunition, protected by a machine gun. The cannons were disabled by the Republican forces on January 25-26, 1939, as they retreated. However, fighting continued on the hilltop for a while longer.

Els Canons Shantytown

Barcelona grew very quickly in the early 1900s. There was not enough housing for everyone. This led to many slums and shantytowns growing without control. Many of these informal settlements continued to grow until the 1990s. By the late 1950s, shantytowns were at their biggest. About 20,000 huts housed around 100,000 people. This was about 6% of Barcelona’s population. These informal homes stretched along the beach and on hills like Montjuïc and El Carmel. They were also on the southern slopes of Turó de la Rovira.

On the top of Turó de la Rovira, the old gun battery was no longer used for war. It soon became the center of new informal homes. The popular name Los Cañones (The Cannons) came from the military use of the site during the Civil War. The people living there arranged their huts in a neat way around the main part of the battery. They turned this into their main street. They also built their homes to fit the tricky shape of the land. The shantytown often looked like the architecture from Andalusia. Many of the people who lived there came from that region of Spain.

This community was well-organized and connected to workers' unions. It grew to have about 110 huts and 600 residents. One big problem for the people was getting water. In 1963, Barcelona’s water company installed a water tank. After that, someone managed to attach a simple fountain to it. You can still see this fountain today.

The people living in the shantytown formed a group called the Carmel Residents Association in 1972. In the mid-1970s, this group asked the city council for basic services. They wanted trash cans, public toilets, and running water. It took until the late 1990s for the council to finally agree to provide these services. The neighborhood group also worked to create a school for adults in the area.

MUHBA Heritage Site

In 2011, Turó de la Rovira was made new again. It became a special place that mixes its old history with an outdoor museum and an indoor exhibit. From this hill, you get a unique view of Barcelona. It is part of what is called the "balcony of Barcelona," which includes the Tres Turons (Three Hills). From this important spot, you can learn a lot about how the city of Barcelona has grown over time.

See also

In Spanish: Turó de la Rovira para niños