Viŀla Joana is a

masia A masia in Catalan (or es, masía and an, pardina) is a type of rural construction common to the east of Spain: Catalonia, Valencian Community, Aragon, Languedoc and Provence (in the south of France). The estate in which the masia is located is ...

located in

Vallvidrera Vallvidrera is a neighbourhood of the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district of Barcelona, Spain. It is situated in one of the sides of the Collserola hills, considered to be the lungs of the city due to the abundant forests it has. This wealthy neighbou ...

(

Sarrià-Sant Gervasi Sarrià-Sant Gervasi is one of the biggest districts of Barcelona. It's the district with the highest per capita income, the largest proportion of university degrees and the lowest unemployment rate. Situated on the north-west of the city, surr ...

district,

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 c ...

) in the middle of Collserola Natural Park. It is a two storey building with a watchtower and lateral galleries. One of its most distinctive elements is the clock on the main façade. Today, Viŀla Joana houses one of the branches of the Barcelona City History Museum (MUHBA), which updated the collection on display here in 2016. The museum deals with the history of the site, literature, and the Catalan poet

Jacint Verdaguer Jacint Verdaguer i Santaló (; 17 May 1845 – 10 June 1902) was a Catalan / Spanish writer, regarded as one of the greatest poets of Catalan literature and a prominent literary figure of the Renaixença, a cultural revival movement of the ...

, who died here in 1902.

History

Viŀla Joana was one of the most important ''masies'' of Vallvidrera. Documented since the 16th century, it became a property of the Miralles family in the 19th century. Then, it took the current name of Viŀla Joana, which symbolizes the transformation of the old farmhouse into a residential villa. In 1902, the prominent poet

was hosted by the Miralles family, and he died here after a short stay. Beginning in 1920, the Viŀla Joana hosted the “Vilajoana School”, a

special school Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...

whose staff included several prominent faculty, including Jesús María Bellido, Joan Alzina i Melis, Pere Barnils i Giol, and Joan Llongueres. The school remained at Viŀla Joana until 1973, when it moved into a new building in the nearby area. In the meantime, the Barcelona City Government decided to transform Viŀla Joana into a museum dedicated to Jacint Verdaguer and linked it to the Barcelona City History Museum network. Between 2014 and 2016 the house was completely refurbished and its historical contents updated. Currently, MUHBA Viŀla Joana exhibits objects related to the history of the house itself, the pedagogical task of the

, Barcelona as a literary city, and especially to Jacint Verdaguer.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vil la Joana City museums in Spain History of Barcelona Museums in Barcelona History museums in Catalonia Archaeological museums in Catalonia Writers from Catalonia Jacint Verdaguer Artist residencies