Avinguda Diagonal, Barcelona
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Avinguda Diagonal is the name of one of Barcelona's most important avenues. It cuts the central district Eixample in two, diagonally, hence the name.
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[edit] Location
It was originally projected by engineer and urban planner Ildefons Cerdà as one of the city's wide avenues, which along with Avinguda Meridiana would cut the rationalist grid he designed for l'Eixample. Both would meet at Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, which Cerdà envisioned as the new city centre. However, Plaça Catalunya, occupying a more privileged position in the urban area would finally become the centre.
The avenue starts in the Sant Martí district, next to Ronda del Litoral, bordering Sant Adrià de Besòs, and crosses the city finally meeting the Lleida-Madrid highway and Ronda de Dalt, by Esplugues de Llobregat, in Les Corts.
It's consistently 50 m. wide and about 11 km. long.
[edit] History
Ildefons Cerdà's so-called Pla Cerdà wasn't totally successful in transforming Barcelona's urban reality, as only parts of it were finally approved. The construction of Avinguda Diagonal is one of the projects it entailed that became reality, when a Royal Decree from Queen Isabella II of Spain and O'Donnell's Spanish government in Madrid allowed him to start the construction of the avenue in 1859. The city council of Barcelona had previously requested the approval of Antoni Rovira i Trias's alternative project instead, which had been rejected.
After the completion of its central section, from current Plaça de Francesc Macià towards Glòries, it soon became one of Barcelona's most popular avenues and an ideal place for the Catalan aristocrats and bourgeoisie to exhibit their carriages, and Francesc Cambó, leader of Lliga Regionalista proposed the construction of a new palace for the then monarch Alfonso XIII in 1919 (the royal palace in Ciutat Vella had been destroyed in the fire of 1875).
[edit] Names
The different regimes that held power in Catalonia and Spain during the 20th century sought to change the city's street names, and Avinguda Diagonal was no exception to that: it has been known under the following name:
- Gran Via Diagonal – original name which Ildefons Cerdà and Víctor Balaguer intended to call the avenue.
- Avinguda d'Argüelles – 1891. Named after Agustín Argüelles.
- Avinguda de la Nacionalitat Catalana – 1922. Mancomunitat de Catalunya.
- Avenida de Alfonso XIII –1924. During Primo de Rivera's dictatorship, named after the king Alfonso XIII.
- Avinguda del Catorze d'Abril – 1931. Second Spanish Republic
- Gran Vía Diagonal – 1939, provisional name imposed the day after the Fascist capture of Barcelona as an attempt to eliminate references to the Republic.
- Avenida del Generalísimo Francisco Franco – 1939. During the Authoritarian Regime of Francisco Franco.
- Avinguda Diagonal – Its current name, adopted following the restoration of democracy in 1979.
It should be noted, though, that in popular usage the name "Diagonal" has always prevailed.
[edit] Buildings and places of interest
[edit] Architecture
- Casa del Baró de Quadras (Museu de la Música) – designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch (1904-1906)
- Casa Comalat – designed by Salvador Valeri i Pupurull (1906 – 1911)
- Església del Carme – designed by Josep Domènech i Estapà, Bizantine style (1909)
- Casa Serra – also designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch, became a school.
- Casa de Terrades, also known as Casa de les Punxes – Eixample's widest building, designed by Puig i Cadafalch (1903-1905)
- Palau Pérez Samanillo
- Casa Sayrach – (1918)
- Palau Reial de Pedralbes (1921), built for Alfonso XIII of Spain and its gardens. (1924).
- Torre Agbar - designed by Jean Nouvel, next to Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes (2005).
[edit] Shopping centres
- L'Illa.
- El Corte Inglés Avinguda Diagonal
- El Corte Inglés Francesc Macià
- Diagonal Mar
[edit] Cinemas
- AMC Cines Diagonal Mar
- Boliche
- CINESA Diagonal
- Glòries Multicines
[edit] Education
Avinguda Diagonal is also home to several schools of both Universitat de Barcelona and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, in the area that is commonly known as Zona Universitària.
The following UB faculties and schools are located on the avenue:
- Biology (Av. Diagonal, 645)
- Business school (Av. Diagonal, 696)
- Economics (Av. Diagonal, 690)
- Law (Av. Diagonal, 684)
- Physics (Av. Diagonal, 647)
[edit] Transport
[edit] Metro
The avenue is served by a number of metro stations:
- Zona Universitària (L3)
- Palau Reial (L3)
- Maria Cristina (L3)
- Diagonal (L3, L5) - In and around Passeig de Gràcia.
- Provença (L6, L7) - In Carrer Provença, linked with Diagonal station.
- Verdaguer (L4, L5) - In Plaça Verdaguer
- Glòries (L1) - in Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes.
- Selva de Mar (L4).
[edit] Tram
- Zona Universitària (T1, T2, T3)
- Palau Reial (T1, T2, T3)
- Maria Cristina (T1, T2, T3)
- Numància (T1, T2, T3)
- L'Illa (T1, T2, T3)
- Francesc Macià (T1, T2, T3)
- Glòries (T4, T5)
- Ca L'Aranyó (T4)
- Pere IV (T4)
- Fluvià (T4)
- Selva de Mar (T4)
- El Maresme (T4)
- Fòrum (T4)
[edit] See also
- Diagonal metro station
- Eixample, List of streets in Eixample
- Modernisme, Noucentisme, Art Nouveau.
- Ildefons Cerdà and his Pla Cerdà, influenced by utopian socialism
- History of Barcelona
- History of Catalonia
- History of Spain
- 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures
[edit] Sources
- ALBAREDA, Joaquim, GUÀRDIA, Manel i altres.Enciclopèdia de Barcelona, Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana, Barcelona, 2006.
[edit] External links
- Article on Avinguda Diagonal by journalist Lluís Permanyer]
- Casa de les Punxes
- Avinguda Diagonal at the tourism site of the city council.
Barcelona landmarks | ||
|---|---|---|
| Buildings and interesting places: | Arc de Triomf · Avinguda Diagonal · Barcelona Pavilion · Bellesguard · Biblioteca de Catalunya · Carrer d'Avinyó · Carrer Ferran · Carrer Tallers · Casa Amatller · Casa Batlló · Casa Calvet · Casa Fuster · Casa Lleó-Morera · Casa Milà · Casa Terrades · Casa Vicens · Castell dels Tres Dragons · Cathedral of Santa Eulalia · Columbus Monument · Dona i Ocell · Estació de França · Fabra Observatory · Font de Canaletes · Forum Building · Fossar de les Moreres · Fundació Joan Miró · Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes · Hospital de Sant Pau · Hospital de la Santa Creu de Barcelona · Hotel Arts · Jewish quarter · Jonqueres Monastery · La Boqueria · La Rambla · Magic Fountain · Montjuïc Castle · Montjuïc Communications Tower · Olympic Harbour · Olympic Ring of Barcelona · Palau del Baró de Quadras · Palau Episcopal de Barcelona · Palau Güell · Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya · Palau de la Virreina · Parliament of Catalonia · Passeig de Gràcia · Pedralbes Monastery · Plaça Catalunya · Plaça Espanya · Plaça Reial · Plaça de Sant Felip Neri · Poble Espanyol · Rambla de Catalunya · Sagrada Família · Sala de les Cent Columnes · Santa Maria del Mar · Torre Agbar · Torre de Collserola · Vapor Vell | Image:Flag of Barcelona.svg |
| Museums: | Archaeology Museum of Catalonia · Caixafòrum · CCCB · Cosmocaixa · Fundació Antoni Tàpies · Institut Botànic de Barcelona · Jardí Botànic · MACBA · Museu de les Arts Decoratives · Museu Castell de Montjuïc & Museu Militar · Museu de Cera de Barcelona · Museu de Ceràmica · Museu de la Ciència · Museu Egipci de Barcelona · Museu de l'Eròtica de Barcelona · Museu Etnològic · Museu Frederic Marès · Museu d'Història de Catalunya · Museu d'Història de la Ciutat · Museu Marítim de Barcelona · Museu de la Música · Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya · Museu del Perfum de Barcelona · Museu Picasso · Museu Tèxtil i d'Indumentària · Museu de la Xocolata | |
| Sports: | Camp Municipal Narcís Sala · Camp Nou · Camp de Les Corts · Estadi de Sarrià · Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys · Mini Estadi · Palau dels Esports · Palau Blaugrana · Palau Sant Jordi | |
| Performing arts: | Gran Teatre del Liceu · L'Auditori · Palau de la Música Catalana · Teatre Apolo · Teatre Grec · Teatre Lliure · Teatre Poliorama · Teatre Romea | |
| Parks: | Laberint d'Horta · Parc de les Aigües | |
| Zoos: | Aquarium Barcelona · Parc Zoològic de Barcelona | |
| Beaches: | Barceloneta beach · Bogatell beach · Mar Bella beach · Nova Icària beach · Nova Mar Bella beach · Sant Sebastià beach | |
Coordinates: ca:Avinguda Diagonal de:Avinguda Diagonal eu:Avinguda Diagonal no:Avinguda Diagonal
