CERCLE 1

26 of Sicilian origin, the Pignatellis, it was latercarvedupandsublet for barcelonins inneed. In1959 itwasbought asa social centre for the Barcelona Artistic Circle, which had been ‘renting’ in the most select parts of the city (Rambles, Gran Via/Passeig de Gràcia, Plaça Catalunya), at the time a social meeting point for a local aristocracy with artistic interests, such as the Güell family, and for those members that had not been expunged by the recently-created pro-Franco society. After a glorious history from 1881 onwards. It was founded as a free association of artists alignedwithmore radical movements, such as Futurism. The exhibition of Futurist painting in 1912wasproposedbyMarinetti 2 himself The proposal was promptly thrown out by a somewhat more rancid Directorial Board. All the letters have been kept, as have his dedicated books. Tempus fugit wouldbeacaveofartand traditionaland religiousartduring theSpanishpost-war period, stuffedwith the regime’s figures of authority. The reconstruction carried out by the municipal architect Adolf Florensa in- corporates thebuilding’s internal Gothic windows into the façade, as well as others that were found in the CityHall’s warehouses that were re-used for the building’s two façades. These are surfa- ces that have been totally re-invented, thanks to the reductionof thebuilding in the carrer dels Arcs part, whichwaswi- dened to improve the perspective of the Romanwalles. A newmethod following anoldpractice: aNeo-Gothic façade, but withmaterial from theMiddleAges. In a subsequent text we will come to times closer toourown.█ Portadadel llibrede / Portadadel librode /Coverof thebookbyMaria IsabelMarínSilvestre CercleArtísticdeBarcelona, 1881-2006 Primeraaproximacióa125anysd’història Reial CercleArtísticdeBarcelona. Barcelona. 2006