Plaça de Catalunya is the most central and largest of Barcelona‘s squares (CataloniaSpain). It is the junction between the old town and the Eixample. Important roads in the city such as La Rambla, Passeig de Gràcia, Rambla de Catalunya, the Universitat and Sant Pere roundabouts and Carrer Pelai depart from here, as well as the Portal de l’Àngel avenue, the great commercial artery of the city, and old gate of the walls.

Plaça de Catalunya is currently considered the nerve center of the city of Barcelona, and Kilometre zero of Catalonia. Most of the city and intercity bus lines start and end here, and it has a metro station (lines L1 and L3), a Rodalies de Catalunya station (lines R1, R3, R4, R12 and RG1) and one of the Generalitat de Catalunya Railways (lines L6, L7, S1, S2, S5, S6 and S7). In the basement of the square there is also a citizen service office of the Mossos d’Esquadra and the main tourist office of the city.

The square is a commercial and service center of the first order. Hotels, banks and ATMs, Telefónica offices, famous bars and restaurants (such as Zurich, recently renovated) and various shops and shopping centers such as El Corte Inglés and El Triangle, with the FNAC, are based there. There are also Canadian consular offices.

In the large central space of the square, concerts and public celebrations or events such as temporary exhibitions and competitions such as Catalan Book Week are regularly held.

Plaça de Catalunya is the site of several notable public sculptures and monuments representative of Noucentisme, Neo-Classicism and different avant-garde movements.

  • Deessa, by Josep Clarà
  • Pastor de Pau, by Pablo Gargallo
  • Francesc Macià monument. The inscription reads: “Catalunya a Francesc Macià”
  • Josep Llimona’s sculptures.

 

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