Plaça de Espanya

Plaça de Espanya Review

This busy circle is a good place to avoid, but sooner or later you'll probably need to cross it to go to the convention center or to the Palau Nacional. It's dominated by the so-called Venetian Towers (they're actually Tuscan) built in 1927 as the grand entrance to the 1929 International Exposition. The fountain in the center is the work of Josep Maria Jujol, the Gaudí collaborator who designed the curvy and colorful benches in Park Güell. The sculptures are by Miquel Blay, one of the master artists and craftsmen who put together the Palau de la Música. The neo-Mudejar bullring, Les Arenes, is now used for theater and political rallies. On the corner of Carrer Llançà, just down to the right looking at the bullring, you can just get a glimpse of the kaleidoscopic lepidopteran atop the Art Nouveau Casa de la Papallona (House of the Butterfly). From the plaza, you can take the metro or Bus 38 back to the Plaça de Catalunya.