Fountain Espana Ofrecida a Dios - Plaça d'Espanya - Barcelona, Spain
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denben
N 41° 22.499 E 002° 08.949
31T E 428848 N 4580734
The monumental fountain that rises up in the centre of the Plaça Espanya is one of the iconic images of Barcelona. It was created for the International Exposition of 1929, with a design by architect Josep Maria Jujol.
Waymark Code: WMQG11
Location: Cataluña, Spain
Date Posted: 02/24/2016
Views: 11
This impressive classical-style monument marks the gateway to the avenue leading to the grounds of the 1929 International Exhibition.
When the Barcelona International Exhibition opened in spring 1929, the monumental fountain that had been designed to preside over the entrance to the exhibition grounds hadn’t been completed. Building work had only begun in January that year. The fountain was designed by the architect Josep Maria Jujol, one of Gaudí’s main associates, and is a monumental allegory that pays tribute to water. This theme predominates in the different noucentista-style sculptural elements that decorate the fountain.
Jujol was assisted by renowned artists to create the sculptures. Miquel Blay was commissioned to make the main sculptures that represent the three seas surrounding the Iberian Peninsula and the main rivers that run through it: the Ebro, the Tagus and the Guadalquivir. The Osté brothers designed the figures on the corners. They depict abundance, health and navigation. Around the central body are three Corinthian columns with various figures and emblems symbolizing religion designed by Jujol. The cauldron surmounting the ensemble is a bronze work by sculptor Frederic Llobet. The use of fine materials such as marble, wrought iron and bronze, and the imposing scale of the monument, which stands 33 metres high, create an ensemble of great impact. The flame that burns in the cauldron completes the majesty of this great work.
Being the work of several artists, the sculptural decoration presents different stylistic tendencies: the works of Michel Blay correspond to classical realism, the brothers Oslé, something closer to the twentieth century, and Frederic Llobet, the art deco fashion of the time.
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