Spain - Barcelona
Plaça de Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer
By @hanneolsen
In Eixample you arrive at a broad square where Avinguda Diagonal meets Passeig de Sant Joan. At the center rises a noucentista monument to the poet Jacint Verdaguer: a tall column crowned by his bronze figure, set on an architectural base with allegories of poetry and a ring of bas-reliefs from his works. The ensemble was designed in the early 1900s by architect Josep Maria Pericàs with sculpture by Joan Borrell i Nicolau. The reliefs are by the brothers Llucià and Miquel Oslé. A fountain frames the monument and the metro stop sits just beside it.
Address: Plaça de Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer, L'Eixample, 08009 Barcelona, Spain
Why go
A clear stop on a Modernisme and Noucentisme walk, with open views and fewer crowds. You see literature turned into stone and water in one of the city’s big intersections.
Known for
The Verdaguer column with bronze statue and bas-reliefs inspired by L’Atlàntida.
Vibe
Wide and urban. Traffic hum around a calm island of stone, bronze and water, with long axes that invite you to keep walking.
Tips
Come early or at sunset for photos when the light hits the column and the water. Walk the bas-reliefs and look for scenes from Verdaguer’s L’Atlàntida. Combine the stop with a stroll along Passeig de Sant Joan toward the Sagrada Família or down Diagonal toward Gràcia. Metro Verdaguer connects on lines L4 and L5.
About @hanneolsen
I am a travel journalist specializing in Spain. I often work and live in Spain, which I consider my second home. As a cultural traveler, my curiosity drives me to continually seek out and convey the many stories that help define Spain, its people, and their culture. In addition to running Spain by Hanne, I also contribute travel articles and photos to Politiken and other Danish media. Received the Danish Media Award at the Spain Talks Awards 2025, organized by Turespaña, for a travel feature on Benidorm focusing on sustainable tourism.
