The Poble Espanyol

The Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village) was built on the Montjuïc hill for the 1929 International Exhibition in Barcelona. Its aim was to show visitors a representative sample of Spanish architecture.
Creating a Village.  MAP IT

The museum's exhibition, conceived by the architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch and executed by Francesc Folguera and Ramon Reventós as well as two art critics, Xavier Nogués and Miquel Utrillo, is made up of 117 buildings, all of them being imitations of real places found in different parts of Spain, from Galice to the Basque Country and from Aragon to Andalusia. The houses are arranged around a large square - the Plaza Mayor - and a couple smaller squares, all connected by picturesque streets, some with stairs. Poble Espanyol has everything you'd expect from a small village, including a town hall, a church, a monastery, shops and residential buildings.
 

Several of Poble Espanyol's buildings are exact reproductions of existing buildings, while other merely represent a specific architectural style. The main entrance gate to the village is a replica of the Puerta San Vicente, one of nine gates of the 11th century walls around the city of Avila. Some other notable replicas are the Town Hall of Valderrobres and the tall clock tower of Utebo, a mixture of Mudéjar and Gothic styles.                                                                                                                      

 

A Popular Attraction
El Poble Espanyol was only built for the duration of the Exhibition, but due to its popularity it was not demolished. Except during Spain's civil war, when it was used as an internment camp for prisoners, it has continued to attract visitors lured by the car-free idyllic village. 

The Spanish Village Today
In 1988 the village was renovated and several attractions were added. There is now a focus on traditional arts with artisans creating glass, decorative paintings, ceramics, jewellery, masks, puppets, leather goods, embroidery, and many other handmade objects in about 40 workshops, selling one-off, signature pieces. 

Because of its commitment to keeping traditional crafts alive, Barcelona’s Poble Espanyol has been declared an Area of Craft Interest by the Catalan government.


You’ll also find original shops and wide variety of Mediterranean cuisine. The village features a number of bars, restaurants, shops and even some nightclubs.

Sources :  

Poble Espanyol web site
w3.bcn.cat/turisme  
aviewoncities.com
barcelonaturisme.com


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