It was a well-to-do quarter during 13th–15th centuries, when it really was by the sea shore, and the area that today is named Barceloneta was still an island.

The former market hall Mercat del Born covers archaeological ruins which were part of the La Ribera district that was demolished after the Siege of Barcelona (1713–14) and the defeat of Catalonia in the War of Succession.

Another place of interest is the Fossar de les Moreres, the site of a mass grave of Catalan soldiers fallen during the siege of 1714.

Part of the quarter of La Ribera was demolished after 1714 to build a military citadel to punish the defeated city.

[1] The northernmost part of the quarter, La Ribera proper and Sant Pere, in contrast to El Born, is not frequented by tourists so much, even though it is between Arc de Triomf and Via Laietana, and actually constitutes a much poorer area with a larger number of migrant workers.