You're thinking, "Hey, this is Barcelona, not Paris. What do you mean Arc de Triomf?". Well, it so happens that Barcelona put on a World Exposition in 1897 and it needed an impressive entrance, hence the arc. It still stands at the top of a grassy promenade Passeig Louis Companys.
Barcelona has many things, but one that is in short supply is green spaces. Parc de la Ciutadella was placed on the site of a much hated fortress ordered by Philip V after he invaded in 1714. He forced over a thousand homeowners to destroy their own homes without compensation, basically tossing them out on the street. The early version of Public Domain laws. Finally in the late 19th C. the fortress was mostly demolished and the park created. The decision to hold the World Exposition lead to the creation of enhancements.
La Cascade is an overly enthusiastic effort to create a Trevi-like fountain. There is a triumphal arch topped with golden river gods, nymphs, horses and Griffin's, it is an over-the-top site to behold. Robert Hughes described it as "a work of almost unsurpassable ugliness, pomposity, and eclectic confusion.". I wholeheartedly agree with the later two points. But it is fun to sit with a slushy and gaze at.
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| The Golden Sea Gods & Horses are the best for over-the-top kitsch! |
Other fun points in the park are the life size model of a Mammoth and the lovely boating lake where you can rent rowboats. It also houses a small zoo, which we skipped in favor of a visit to a tapas bar.
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| This gives you an idea of the size |
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| There is beautiful detail |
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