Plaça de Catalunya (pronounced[ˈplasəðəkətəˈluɲə], meaning inEnglish "Catalonia Square"; sometimes referred to asPlaza de Cataluña, its Spanish name) is a large square in centralBarcelona that is generally considered to be both itscity centre and the place where the old city (seeBarri Gòtic andRaval, inCiutat Vella) and the 19th century-builtEixample meet.
The plaza is especially known for its fountains and statues, the centralcompass rose (or "wind rose") on the pavement, its proximity to some of Barcelona's most popular attractions, and the flocks ofpigeons that gather in the centre. Some of the city's most important streets and avenues meet at Plaça Catalunya:Passeig de Gràcia,Rambla de Catalunya,La Rambla, andPortal de l'Àngel, in addition toRonda de Sant Pere,Carrer de Vergara, andCarrer de Pelai. The plaza occupies an area of about 50,000 square metres. The square played a significant part in theSpanish Civil War, in particular as a site of key events of theMay Days.
After the medieval city walls were demolished in the 19th century, ambitious designs for the city's public spaces were conceived under the guidance of notableurban planners. Plaça Catalunya was conceived as part ofpla Rovira in 1859, but no official permission from the government was given until the1888 Universal Exposition. It wasurbanised for the first time in 1902 and was further modified in 1929, on the occasion of the1929 Barcelona International Exposition, which also included the construction of ametro station. ArchitectFrancesc de Paula Nebot designed the changes made in 1929.
In May 2011 Plaça Catalunya was the main location whereanti-government protests andsit ins were held in Barcelona, mirroring the events in other Spanish cities.
Plaça Catalunya is the site of several notable public sculptures and monuments representative ofNoucentisme,Neo-Classicism and differentavant-garde movements.
The Barcelona Telephone Exchange (Edificio Telefónica) has four stained glass windows, designed in 1991, installed in the tower lantern. Commissioned from the artistBrian Clarke to commemorate the 1992 Olympic Games hosted by the city, the artworks were fabricated by the local Fundació Centre del Vidre, and conceived to function as a coloured beacon overlooking the square.
Themosaics that decorate the walls of the underground part of Plaça Catalunya were designed by pupils ofEscola Massana.
A few theatres have been established in Plaça Catalunya since its construction, none of which are extant.
There still are, however, other theatres in the nearby area, located in other streets or squares.
Similarly, most of the cafés and restaurants where writers and artists would meet in the city haven't survived, with the notable exception of Café Zurich, whereFabiola of Belgium's brother worked as a pianist. The following ones disappeared with theSpanish Civil War:
The square is one of Barcelona's most important transport hubs, both above and under ground.
The originalBarcelona metro line in Barcelona, known asGran Metro, had Plaça Catalunya as one of its termini. It went to become the current green line,L3, operated byTMB. It's also served by twoFGC lines.
Barcelona'snight bus is known asNitbus [es] and most of its lines serve Plaça Catalunya:
Plaça de Catalunya is a featured locale in the 2009 video gameWheelman, published byMidway Games.
41°23′12″N2°10′12″E / 41.38667°N 2.17000°E /41.38667; 2.17000
