Passeig de Gràcia () is one of the major avenues in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

(

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the nort ...

) and one of its most important shopping and business areas, containing several of the city's most celebrated pieces of

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

. It is located in the central part of

Eixample The Eixample (; ) is a district of Barcelona between the old city ( Ciutat Vella) and what were once surrounding small towns ( Sants, Gràcia, Sant Andreu, etc.), constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Its population was 262,000 ...

, stretching from Plaça Catalunya to Carrer Gran de Gràcia. Passeig de Gràcia is regarded as the most expensive street in Barcelona and in Spain.

History

Formerly known as Camí de Jesús ("Jesus Road"), the Passeig de Gràcia was originally little more than a quasi-rural lane surrounded by gardens joining Barcelona and

Gràcia Gràcia () is a district of the city of Barcelona, Spain. It comprises the neighborhoods of Vila de Gràcia, Vallcarca i els Penitents, El Coll, La Salut and Camp d'en Grassot i Gràcia Nova. Gràcia is bordered by the districts of Eixample to th ...

, which was then still a separate town. This was still the case at the time of the first

urbanisation Urbanization (or urbanisation) refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It is predominantly the ...

project in 1821, which was devised by the

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

city council, and led by Ramon Plana. This project had to be cancelled due to the epidemics that were raging in Barcelona at the time. After the demise of the liberal government with the return of Absolutism in 1824, the project was taken up again by general José Bernaldo de Quirós, marquis of Campo Sagrado. The new avenue was wide in 1827 and became a favourite place for aristocrats to display their horse riding skills and expensive horse-drawn carriages all through the 19th century. In 1906 the architect Pere Falqués i Urpí designed the avenue's now famous ornate benches and street-lights. By that time it had become Barcelona's most fashionable street, with buildings designed by modernista/ Art Nouveau architects of fame such as Antoni Gaudí, Pere Falqués,

Josep Puig i Cadafalch Josep Puig i Cadafalch (; Mataró, 17 October 1867 – Barcelona, 21 December 1956) was a Catalan '' Modernista'' architect who designed many significant buildings in Barcelona, and a politician who had a significant role in the development of ...

Lluís Domènech i Montaner Lluís Domènech i Montaner (; 21 December 1850 – 27 December 1923) was a Spanish architect who was highly influential on '' Modernisme català'', the Catalan Art Nouveau/Jugendstil movement. He was also a Catalan politician. Born in Barcelo ...

, Enric Sagnier and Josep Vilaseca. The government of the Basque Country (Eusko Jaurlaritza) was based in Passeig de Gràcia, 60 during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...

. The Catalan poet

Salvador Espriu Salvador Espriu i Castelló (; 10 July 1913 – 22 February 1985) was a Catalan poet. Biography Espriu was born in Santa Coloma de Farners, Catalonia, Spain. He was the son of an attorney. He spent his childhood between his home town, Barcelon ...

resided in Casa Fuster (Passeig de Gràcia, 132).

Notable buildings

Illa de la Discòrdia The Illa de la Discòrdia () or Mansana de la Discòrdia — "Block of Discord"; es, Manzana de la Discordia — is a city block on Passeig de Gràcia in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The block is noted for havin ...

** Casa Amatller by

(1890-1900) **

Casa Batlló () is a building in the center of Barcelona. It was designed by Antoni Gaudí, and is considered one of his masterpieces. A remodel of a previously built house, it was redesigned in 1904 by Gaudí and has been refurbished several times after th ...

by Antoni Gaudí (1904-1906) ** Casa Lleó Morera by

(1902-1906) ** Museu del Perfum * Cases Antoni Rocamora by Josep Bassegoda i Amigó (1914-1917) * Casa Bonaventura Ferrer by Pere Falqués i Urpí (1906) * Casa Fuster by

(1908-1911) *

Casa Milà Casa Milà (, ), popularly known as ''La Pedrera'' (, ; "the stone quarry") in reference to its unconventional rough-hewn appearance, is a '' Modernista'' building in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was the last private residence designed by arc ...

"La Pedrera" by Antoni Gaudí (1905-1910) * Casa Pons i Pascual by Enric Sagnier (1891) * Casa Ramon Casas by Antoni Rovira i Rabassa (1898) *

Hotel Majestic (Barcelona) Majestic Hotel & Spa in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain is a hotel located on 68 Passeig de Gràcia in the Eixample district. It is located not far from Gaudí's La Pedrera and about one kilometre from La Rambla. It has existed as a hotel for m ...

(1918) * Palau Robert (1903) * Teatre Tívoli * Jardins de Salvador Espriu

Transportation

* Passeig de Gràcia (Barcelona Metro) * Diagonal (Barcelona Metro) * Passeig de Gràcia train station *Bus

Hotels

* Hotel Majestic. Opened as a hotel in 1918 and owned by the Soldevila family. *

Mandarin Oriental Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group International Limited (MOHG) is a Hong Kong hotel investment and management group focusing on luxury hotels, resorts, and residences, with a total of 33 properties worldwide, 20 of which are fully or partially ow ...

References

Bibliography

* ALBAREDA, Joaquim, GUÀRDIA, Manel i altres.''Enciclopèdia de Barcelona'', Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana, Barcelona, 2006.

External links

Photo album from Pobles de Catalunya

What to visit in the Eixample

Photo album from Barcelona Tourist Guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona Passeig de Gràcia Streets in Barcelona Modernisme architecture in Barcelona Eixample Shopping districts and streets in Catalonia