Lost Landscapes. Glòries, a Crossroads

Plaça de les Glòries is —if we may say so— one of the most “unfortunate” spaces in the city of Barcelona. Since its conception, more than 160 years ago, it has been a succession of good intentions and missteps, unfinished works, half-completed projects and even the demolition of completed works.

In 1860, Ildefons Cerdà transformed farmland in Sant Martí de Provençals into a space that was to become the point where the three roads he considered destined to become Barcelona’s most important streets would intersect: Diagonal, Gran Via and Meridiana.

The square has always been a space in the middle of nowhere, a void without any real civic identity, a place of passage: a crossing of paths, trains and vehicles; a border between neighbourhoods —Fort Pienc, Clot, El Poblet and Poblenou—.

The current reality is different, not yet fully completed, but it is undoubtedly beginning to organise the central space and, above all, its surroundings.

Provisional points along the route: level crossings —Castillejos and Dos de Maig— / shanty settlements —Diagonal, Castillejos and Gran Via— / Adoberia dels Riera / Fàbrica del Sucre / Rec Comtal / Encants Vells.

Meeting point: Consell de Cent, 558, entrance to Escola dels Encants. Estimated duration of the route: 90 min. Difficulty: low. Please wear comfortable shoes and bring water. At the end: discussion with vermouth, provided by the participants. Guides: Gisela Boronat and Josep M. Sans. Image: Arxiu Històric Fort Pienc, Badiella family.