Plaça de Catalunya
برشلونة
Plaça de Catalunya is the great square that joins the old town to the Eixample. It took its present shape in the 1920s, ahead of the International Exhibition of 1929.
A bridge between two cities
Until the 1800s there were fields here, just outside the medieval walls. When the walls were torn down, the city grew towards the mountain with the Eixample, a new grid-shaped district.
The square was born right on the border between the old town and the new one. It took its present shape in the 1920s, with works ahead of the International Exhibition of 1929. It covers about 48,500 square metres.
What to look at
In the middle there are lawns, trees and a wide stone esplanade. All around stand the buildings of banks, shops and department stores.
There are many sculptures in the square. Among them are the monument to Francesc Macià, by Josep Maria Subirachs, and works by Josep Llimona and Enric Casanova.
The city's meeting point
Passeig de Gràcia, Rambla de Catalunya, the Rambla and Avinguda del Portal de l'Àngel all start here. Metro lines and regional trains run beneath the square.
That is why the square is the handiest meeting point in the city. Concerts, festivals and big public gatherings take place here. In the 1900s, people debated literature and politics in the cafés around it.
