10 curiosities about Barcelona
The city of Barcelona is known worldwide. With a unique blend of modernist architecture, sunny beaches, an incredible culinary scene, and a welcoming atmosphere, Barcelona attracts visitors from all over the world. However, there's much more to this city than meets the eye. In this article, we will explore 10 facts you might not know about the Catalan capital.
The city didn't have a beach until 1992
Although Barcelona is located by the sea, it didn't have beaches until 1992. Before that, the city's coastline was made up of an industrial area with many disused factories.
For the Olympics, these disused factories were demolished, and more than three kilometers of beaches were created using sand imported from Egypt.
There's an FC Barcelona shield in the Santa Maria del Mar basilica
If you are observant and look carefully, you can find an FC Barcelona shield in one of the stained glass windows of the Santa Maria del Mar basilica.
It's not a coincidence that the shield is there; there's a story behind it. In 1936, the basilica suffered a fire during the Spanish Civil War, and the stained glass windows were broken. Later, in the 1960s, they were rebuilt with the help of patrons, one of whom was FC Barcelona.
The Passion façade of the Sagrada Familia
In the Sagrada Familia, you will also find a curiosity of Barcelona. Located on the Passion façade, you'll see a board with sixteen engraved numbers. If you add up the numbers in any row, column, or diagonal, they all add up to the same result, thirty-three, which is the age at which Jesus Christ died.
The busiest street in Spain is in Barcelona
In the heart of Barcelona, you'll find the street with the highest daily foot traffic. It's the Portal de l'Angel. It has been recorded that more than 100,000 people pass through it every day.
The length of the meter was determined in Barcelona
In 1791, French scientists Pierre Méchain and Jean-Baptiste Delambre, working for the French Academy of Sciences, carried out the crucial task of establishing the standard measure for the meter. This prominent research duo chose the Montjuïc fortress overlooking the port of Barcelona as their observation site. Before their work, there were two different measurements in use for this unit of length.
The arrow of the 1992 Olympic Games
During the opening ceremony of the 1992 Olympic Games, the fire arrow shot by Antonio Rebollo to light the cauldron missed its mark.
Though the fire ignited perfectly, the arrow passed over the cauldron and landed outside, setting it on fire as it passed.
There is a Soviet bunker
On Avenida Tibidabo, you'll find the former Soviet consulate. During the Spanish Civil War, they built an underground bunker to use as a refuge.
This bunker had several offices, latrines, and an independent electric generator.
You can see Civil War bullet holes
In the church of Sant Felip Neri, you can observe the scars from the Spanish Civil War. If you look closely at its façade, you can see bullet marks.
Columbus's finger doesn't point to America
Christopher Columbus is known as the person who discovered America. In Barcelona, there's a monument where he is pointing towards the horizon. Many people believe his finger is pointing to the land he discovered, but it actually points in the opposite direction.
The legend of the Canaletas Fountain
There's a legend in Barcelona surrounding the Canaletas Fountain, located on Las Ramblas. The legend says that if a person drinks from the fountain, they will return to Barcelona.
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