Plaça d'Espanya, Barcelona

Plaza de España (Plaça d'Espanya in Catalan) is one of the most important squares in Barcelona and sits at the foot of Montjuic. It was built for the 1929 International Exhibition. What calls attention are two Venetian towers that are 47 meters tall. These towers were the gateway to the grounds of the International Exhibition. They were inspired by the Campanile of San Marco in Venice. The architect for this project was Ramon Reventos y Farrarons.

There is also a monumental fountain designed by the architect Josep Maria Jujol. It has three large columns and several sculptural groups done by the artist Miquel Blay. The monument is a homage to water, and each sculptural group represents the seas and oceans that wash the coasts of Spain. The Mediterranean and Ebro river is represented with a young man surrounded by youths. The Atlantic Ocean and the Tajo and Guadalquivier Rivers are represented with two old men surrounded by youths. The Cantabric Sea shows a group of youths, which represent the rivers that flow into this sea. The three columns represent Religion, the Arts, and Heroism

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The Plaça d'Espanya is among the most important squares of Barcelona. It is located at the foot of Montjuïc, in the Sants-Montjuïc district, and was designed in 1915 by the architect Josep Amargós, for the 1929 World Exhibition.

The large Fountain at the center of the square was designed, in a modernist style influenced by Gaudi, by Josep Maria Jujol. The sculptures adorning the fountain were created by the Spanish sculptor Miguel Blay Fabregas.

The Avinguda de la Reina María Christina is flanked by two towers, Venetian Towers, and leads to the Magic fountain and the Palau National at the Montjuïc. These towers with 47 m high are modeled on the Bell Tower at the Saint Mark's Square in Venice.

At the other end of the square stands the Arenas de Barcelona. Nowadays, this building serves as a shopping center.

The area behind the arena is known as the Parc de l'Escorxador or Park of the abattoir. In the 1980s this park was renamed Parc de Joan Miró after the local artist who left his mark on the square with a 22m high colorful sculpture, known as Dona i Ocell or Woman and Bird.

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Placa d'Espanya (meaning Spain's Square) was constructed for the World Exhibition of 1929 to serve as its main entrance. There is a monumental fountain representing Spanish rivers designed by José María Jujol in the centre of the square. The Venetian towers, 47 metres in height, at the square depict the belltowers of the Venetian Cathedral. Through these towers runs the María Cristina Avenue. One can see a nice view of this square from the Montjuic Palace.

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Once the city’s gallows place was situated here. Now you will find a big roundabout with a big sculpture and a fountain in the middle.
To the north of the square you have an old bullring and the Joan Miró Park with sculptures.
On the south side of Placa Espanya are two towers made of red brick. They are 47 metres tall and look very much like the Campanile in Piazza San Marco in Venice. They were built for the World Exhibition of 1929. If you walk the street past the campaniles you will come to Montjuic.

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The best time to see Placa Espanya is at night when the area is lit up. Unfortunately during my visit to Barcelona there was a trade fair in the Placa d'Esapanya exhibition rooms so the area was not lit up as much as usual :( but it was still impressive especially the Palau Nacional which was lit up from behind with spotlights. THe mighty venetian towers are based on St. Mark's in Venice and mark the entrance to the trade exhibition halls and to Montjuic itself.

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It's pretty rare to encounter a place or establishment that the Catalans have allowed to retain a distinctly Spanish name - all the more so when it is a huge and prominent square that is visited by almost every tourist who comes to the city (especially if they take the bus from Plaça Catalunya to the airport). Still, I suppose that Plaça Espanya is so well known that it would be more detrimental to the world's view of Catalunya to change the name than to leave it as it is.

Plaça Espanya is more of a transit point than a tourist stop, as it is the metro station closest to Montjuic and the Fira. Nevertheless, the enormous monument in the centre was quite an architectural scandal when it was first revealed to the world, as it was a neo-classical creation, built at a time when Modernisme ruled supreme in the city. The centre piece of the Plaça, together with the 47m tall twin towers at the start of Avinguda Reina Cristina, was built for the 1929 World's Fair, like many of the other installations on Montjuïc.

The fountain in the middle was the site of the public gallows until 1715 and was designed by one of Gaudi's followers. It is flanked by two 47m campiniles modeled on St Marco's Piazza in Venice. It was built as the entrance to the 1929 Int'l Exhibition.

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Arriving by metro here it's really easy and,obiusvly what'll take your eyes will be the contrast of architectures.Two Venezia's style towers in the middle of a spanish city!!It's so strange but fascinating in the same time.It's one of the thing that make you understand how many different styles,cultures,influences has been in Barcellona.

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Plaza España is a busy roundabout at the foot of Montjuic, right below Palacio Nacional (holding the Museum of Catalan Art - MNAC) and Font Magica (Being the great spectacle of water, sound and light).
The two 47 meter high towers originally served as the entrance to the World Exhibition which was oragnized here in 1929. Now, the International Fairs (Fira Barcelona) are still being organized here. There are exhibition pavilions all along Avenida Reina María Cristina (going from the Plaza to Palacio National) which is lined with smaller fountains and light columns looking really spectacular at night when the lights are on.
Plaza España is easily accessible with subway. This is also where most buses coming from the airport or Barcelona suburbs stop.

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The Venetian towers in the Spain's Square are known by this name because they are depicting the belltower of the Venetian Cathedral. They were designed by Ramón Reventós in 1928 as an entrance gate to the International Exhibition of 1929, and while they are now the entrance of the Barcelona Trade Fair. They are 47 metres high and they frame the María Cristina Avenue. All along this avenue, as a corridor in the Fair area, there are a succession of small fountains and columns of light. From the entrance to the Fair enclosure there is a spectacular view of the avenue forming the base of the Montjuic Palace. There are different Fair pavilions, as the Communications and Metalurgy Pavilions, in Spain's square or the Alphonso XIII and Victoria Eugenia Pavilions in Marquis de Foronda Square, where the Magic Fountain is placed.

Las Torres Venecianas en la Plaza de España son conocidas por ese nombre porque representan el campanario de la Catedral de Venecia. Fueron diseñados por Ramón Reventós en 1928 como entrada a la Exposición Internacional de 1929, mientras que ahora forman la entrada de la Feria de Exposiciones de Barcelona. Tienen 47 metros de altura y enmarcan la Avenida de María Cristina. A todo lo largo de ella, como si fuera un pasillo de la Feria, hay una sucesión de pequeñas fuentes y columnas de luz. Desde la entrada al recinto de la Feria hay una espectacular vista de la avenida sirviendo de base al Palacio de Montjuic. Hay diferentes pabellones de la Feria, como los Pabellones de las Comunicaciones y la Metalurgia, en la Plaza de España o los Pabellones de ALfonso XIII y Victoria Eugenia en la plaza del Marqués de Foronda, donde se encuentra la Fuente Mágica.