The Poble Espanyol was built in 1929 for the Barcelona International Exhibition as the pavilion dedicated to art. It is one of the few monuments that belonged to an International Exhibition that can still be visited.
From the beginning, it was conceived as a real "village" in the middle of a city, with a surface area of 49,000 m2. The aim was to give an idea of what might be an "ideal model" of a Spanish village containing the main characteristics of all towns and villages in the peninsula.
Built between 1926 and 1929, the initial idea of this "Spanish Village" was to have representations, all in one place, of architectural features of all Spanish regions: the church, the houses (humble or mansions), bars and restaurants, shops, craft workshops - all are taken from the real thing. Plaza Aragonesa, Calle del Alcalde de Móstoles, Travesia del Maestrazgo, Gradas de Santiago, Calle de Los Arcos, Plaza del Carmen are names with a lot of meaning that takes us to different places in Spain.
The Catalan part is by Plaça de la Font, a copy of the plaça (square) in Prades (Alt Camp). There are buildings from Santa Pau and Besalú (La Garrotxa), Rupit (Osona), Camprodon (Ripollès), Isona (Pallars Jussà), Montblanc (Conca de Barberà), Premià de Dalt (Maresme), La Garriga (Vallès Oriental), Cornudella (Priorat) and Tàrrega (Urgell).
Passing the Porta de Prades you reach the Romanesque monastery, with a reproduction of the Sant Benet de Bages cloisters, and the church, reminding us of Santa Maria de Porqueres, for example.
Craftwork is an important feature of Poble Espanyol. When it was opened in 1929, there were blacksmiths, glassblowers, weavers, wheelwrights, barbers, coopers, potters, turners, basket makers, tailors making traditional regional clothing, and photographers. Food and drink were not forgotten either, with, in addition to a restaurant, cafe and hostel, a freiduria selling fried fish, and shops selling cold meats, drinks, wine, sweets, cakes, preserves, biscuits, turron and handmade chocolate, as well as a tavern selling Catalan wine. All together, next to a host of shops selling antiques and ceramics from Alcora, Mallorcan embroidery to mantillas, as well as birds and espadrilles.
Today, as well as being a must for anyone who wants an overall view of architectonic and urban constructions in Spain, Poble Espanyol has become a meeting place for people who want to enjoy the theatre, concerts, or a good meal with friends in one of the restaurants there.
Barcelona Poble Espanyol Map
Address
Poble Espanyol de Montjuïc - The Open-Air Museum
Av Francesc Ferrer Guàrdia, 13
08038 BARCELONA
How to get there
- Underground (Espanya): L1, L3
- Catalan railroads FGC (Espanya)
- Bus (Poble Espanyol) 13, 50, 61 and Parc Montjuïc
- Tourist bus (Poble Espanyol)
- Barcelona City Tour (parada Poble Espanyol)
Poble Espanyol Opening Hours
Monday,
from 9am to 8pm.
Tuesday to Thursday,
rom 9am to 12am.
Friday,
from 9am to 3am.
Saturday,
from 9am to 4am.
Sunday,
from 9am to 12am.
Surroundings
The hill at Montjuïc is 192 m high and is situated to the south of the city of Barcelona, from where it dominates the whole coastline. It hosts a whole range of leisure and cultural options. You can visit museums, gardens, trade fairs and the Olympic sites, attend concerts and the theatre, practice sport or simply enjoy a walk through one of the green lungs of the city of Barcelona.
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