
The Plaça d'Espanya was created for the 1929 World Exhibition. Designed in 1915 by the architect Josep Amargós, it was only completed just in time for the exhibition. Another architect, Josep Maria Jujol designed a large fountain at the center of the square. His modernist style is clearly influenced by Gaudi, with whom Jujol frequently collaborated on projects like the
Casa Milà and
Park Guëll.
The sculptures adorning the fountain were created by
the Spanish sculptor Miguel Blay Fabregas.
A wide avenue, the Avinguda
de la Reina María Christina, is flanked by two
towers and leads to the
Magic
fountain and the Palau National at the
Montjuïc.
The avenue is often used for trade fairs.
The 47m / 154ft high towers are modeled on the Bell
Tower of the San Marco Square in Venice. They were built
by Ramon Raventós for the 1929

International Exhibition.
At the other end of the Plaça
d'Espanya stands the 'Arenas de Barcelona'.
The bullring in Mudéjar style brickwork was built
in 1900. But bullfights have never really caught on
in Catalonia and the arena is now being turned into
a shopping center.
The area behind the arena is known
as the Parc de l'Escorxador or Park of the abattoir

as
it was used as the abattoir for the bullring.
In the 1980s the 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.
Originally the idea was to put a forest of sculptures
like these in the park, but Joan Miró's death
in 1983 prevented these plans from being implemented.