Plaça Reial

Plaça Reial is an incredibly elegant square with perfect proportions, arcades, palm trees, and a fountain. They say it was named “Royal” due to its beauty, but it was originally meant to be called the Square of the Spanish Heroes, referring to the War of Independence against Napoleon. However, all street names related to French liberalism were being censored by the king, so this suggestion was soon rejected. And just like that, the Royal Square was born. It was built on the site of an old convent, destroyed by a fire in 1835. Originally, the city planned to build a grand theatre, but once the Liceu Theatre was inaugurated in 1847 just a few steps away, the idea lost its purpose. The Royal Square’s theatre never came to life. At the centre stands the beautiful iron fountain of the Three Graces. Made in France, it features statues of the Charities—the three Greek goddesses of grace—whom the fountain is named after. Notice the two street lamps beside the fountain. They are among Antoni Gaudí’s very first works. A renowned Catalan architect, one of his main artistic themes was Catalan identity. At the top of the lampposts, there is a winged helmet of the Roman god Mercury, and a serpent coiled around the column. These symbols are reminders of the Catalan conquests during the medieval period. At the start of the 20th century, the square attracted the upper classes, who came to enjoy the high-end venues beneath the arcades. Today, it’s a lively meeting point and a major tourist hotspot. Every weekend, the Royal Square hosts an antique market with vintage items and collectible stamps.