Parc de la Ciutadella

The Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona’s urban “green lung”, is no ordinary park. In 1869, the demolition of the military citadel, built a century earlier by Philip V, was highly significant for a boom Barcelona with its sights firmly set on the 1888 Universal Exhibition. The result was a park which the architect Josep Fontseré adapted to the needs of the world fair.

the Citadel, together with the new walls and Montjuïc castle

As its name indicates, the site had formerly been occupied by a military citadel, built in the early 18th century after the defeat of Barcelona in the War of Succession. 
The city was severely punished when it fell after a long siege, and the Citadel (together with the new walls and Montjuïc castle) was used by the Bourbon dynasty to keep the city under military control for over 150 years. In the mid-19th century, after years of petitioning by the citizens, the government in Madrid agreed to allow the walls and the Citadel to be demolished to make room for the urban development of the city. 

Pavilions in the Parc de la Ciutadella

The land was first used as the site for the 1888 Universal Exhibition. The pavilions and the infrastructures were built rapidly and with a great deal of improvisation. Experienced architects such as Josep Fontserè worked alongside young graduates such as Lluís Domènech i Montaner, who demonstrated his impressive talent for management and coordination, especially in the Gran Hotel Internacional (no longer standing), a building with a capacity for 500 guests which Domènech’s team built in less than 60 days.

The park contains some outstanding Modernista works. Just beside one of the side doors of the park, in Passeig de Pujades, is the building that was destined to be the Café-Restaurant of the Universal Exhibition. It was built between 1887 and 1888 by Lluís Domènech i Montaner in exposed brickwork, an unusual technique at the time, and is one of the first examples of Barcelona Modernisme. Its crenellated wall, its frieze of coats of arms and its sobriety give it a certain medieval appearance, which is highlighted by the eclectic combination of Catalan arches, large Roman windows and Arabic arches. The building, known as the Castell dels Tres Dragons (Castle of the Three Dragons), is the Natural History Museum, but not open to visits.

Nearby are two delightful buildings, 
the Hivernacle (Greenhouse), a work by Josep Amargós i Samaranch (1883-1887) that is currently used for all types of social event, and the Umbracle (Shade House), built by Josep Fontserè i Mestres in 1883-1884. It is certainly worth sparing a few minutes to have a look inside both of them and walk around the splendid collection of plants they protect.

One of the many pleasures to be enjoyed in the Parc de la Ciutadella is a row around the boating lake in front of the monumental waterfall with its statue of Venus in the centre: a special romantic spot which is the ideal place to enjoy this pastime, either alone or in good company. The wrought-iron sculpture of Aurora in her chariot rises up majestically at the top. Below it stands a stone statue of Venus on a shell above the peaceful waters of the fountain. The young Antoni Gaudí is said to have worked on the design of some of the ornamental features on the waterfall in the Parc de la Ciutadella, such as the rocks and iron poles. 

She looks as if she might start talking to us at any moment, and invite us to take her hand and stroll with her through the park gardens. Or perhaps she’s just putting out her hand to check if it’s still raining. What is certain is that the lady with the umbrella has become a symbol of the park and Barcelona itself.

Standing on the top of an ornamental fountain designed by Josep Fontseré, the marble sculpture was created by Roig Soler to decorate the grounds of the 1888 Universal Exhibition. It depicts a lady dressed in the fashions of 1888. She is holding a cloth umbrella which seems to be dripping with water, and tilts her head slightly forward while extending her hand. There can be no doubt that she represents the typical bourgeois lady of the time from one of the families who held social and economic power during the second half of the 19th century. The lady, with her attentive gaze, stands atop the fountain plinth, and watches young and old alike from her vantage point: the entrance to the zoo. Time has stood still for her.

The sculptor Josep Llimona received the prize for the 5th International Art Exhibition in 1903, for his first version of the public sculpture Despair. The one in the Parc de la Ciutadella is a copy of the 1917 original, made of marble and now on display at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC). It appears that the figure was originally intended to be placed in a mausoleum. This perhaps explains why Llimona’s sculpture depicts a mysterious woman in a pose of abandonment and sadness. Like a Renaissance sculpture, the figure emerges from a block of stone, but the soft, rounded forms contrast with the hard material. This woman’s continuous melancholy can be perceived subtly and conceals much of the character’s inner world. The face, covered by a mane of hair, is not revealed. Only the gesture of the hands, which are gently clasped, gives the sculpture a semblance of life.
Indeed, Despair is a paradigmatic work of Catalan art nouveau, modernisme, replete with symbolism while stripped of dramatising. The idealisation of the female form and the theme of sorrow were characteristic of the taste of the period. Far removed from the vitality of Rodin’s work, Llimona’s sculpture marks the period just before the artistic avant-gardes burst onto the scene. 

The Catalan Parliament, is housed in a building with a turbulent history dating back to the 18th century, when it was built as a military arsenal for the repressive citadel. 

It has been the seat of parliament since the reinstatement of democracy and civil liberties in 1980. 

The architecture of this parliament building still looks very much the same as it did when it was designed by the architect and military engineer Próspero de Verboom.

Built between 1716 and 1748, this robust and imposing structure has two storeys and an attic space set out on a cross-shaped ground plan with a central dome and four inner courtyards. The building is made from stone quarried on Montjuïc and terracotta tiles, and is decorated with the busts of eminent figures associated with Catalan art. These date from the extension carried out at the beginning of the 20th century when the building was converted into the municipal art museum, the Museu Municipal d’Art.

Barcelona Zoo occupies over 14 hectares inside the Parc de la Ciutadella. It was founded in 1892 and located in buildings that had been used for the 1888 Universal Exhibition.  

The first fauna housed in the zoo came from the private collection of Lluís Martí Codolar, who kept them on his estate in the neighbourhood of Horta. Barcelona Zoo has been extended and redesigned over the past hundred years, with priority being given to the upkeep and reintroduction of species under threat of extinction and the improvement of the animals’ living conditions. At the zoo you’ll be able to see a dolphin show, observe how mandrills and titis (the world’s smallest monkeys) live, laugh with the seals and discover tropical birds.

Back : Old City East Tour

Sources : barcelona turisme    Routa del Modernisme

1 Waterfall
2 Bandstand
3 The Mamouth
4 Boating lake
5 Catalan Volunteers Memorial
6 Parliament of Catalonia
7 Desconsuelo (Despair)
8 Verdaguer School
9 Church
10 Statue of General Prim
11 Entrance of the zoo
12 The Lady with the umbrella
13 Umbraculum 

(Shade House)
14 Museum of geology
15 Hibernarium (Greenhouse)
16 Three Dragons Castle