Poble Espanyol

The Poble Espanyol (literally, Spanish town) is an open-air architectural museum in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, approximately 400 metres away from the Fountains of Montjuïc. Built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, the museum consists of 117 full-scale buildings, which recreate Spanish villages. It also contains a theater, restaurants, artisan workshops and a museum of contemporary art.

Poble Espanyol
Gate of Avila replica
Established1929 (1929)
LocationAvda. Francesc Ferrer i Guardia, 13, Barcelona, Spain
Coordinates41.3687°N 2.1483°E / 41.3687; 2.1483
TypeArchitectural Museum
DirectorAnton Vidal
Architect
  • Francesc Folguera - architect
  • Ramon Reventós - architect
  • Miquel Utrillo - art critic
  • Xavier Nogués - painter
Websitewww.poble-espanyol.com

History

The museum was built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition as an exhibit of the architecture and culture of Spain. The idea was promoted by the Catalan architect Puig Cadafalch and the project was realized by architects Francesc Folguera and Ramon Reventós, art critic Miquel Utrillo and painter Xavier Nogués. The four professionals visited over 600,000 sites in Spain to collect the architecture to bring together the main characteristics of the peoples of Spain.[1]

Description

Areas

The Poble Espanyol has replications of 117 buildings representing fifteen autonomous communities of Spain − Andalusia, Aragon, Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Catalonia, the Valencian Community, Extremadura, Galicia, the Baleric Islands, the Community of Madrid, the Region of Murcia, Navarre, and the Basque Country. The autonomous communities of La Rioja and the Canary Islands are not represented. The first is not present because it was not a separate region of Spain when the museum was designed and built. The Canary Islands are not represented because the four designers could not travel to them for economic reasons.

Monuments and buildings of the Poble Espanyol

Replicated buildings include:

Building replica City/Town Region
Calle Cuna Arcos de la Frontera, Cádiz Province  Andalusia
Torre de Utebo Utebo, Zaragoza Province  Aragon
Cangues d'Onís Cangas de Onís  Asturias
Casa Son Berga Palma, Majorca  Balearic Islands
Caserío Casa Arteche Erandio, Biscay  Basque Country
Casa Barreda Santillana del Mar  Cantabria
El Mirador Sigüenza, Guadalajara Province  Castilla-La Mancha
Puerta de San Vicente Ávila  Castilla y León
Palacio de los Golfines de Abajo Cáceres  Extremadura
Paço de los Fefinhas Cambados, Pontevedra Province  Galicia
Navalcarnero Navalcarnero  Madrid
Casa de los Celdrán Murcia  Murcia
Las Arcadas Sangüesa  Navarre
La Jana Castellón de la Plana  Valencian Community
Monestir Romànic de Sant Miquel Various spots  Catalonia

Other exhibits and attractions

Although the Poble Espanyol was planned to be demolished when the International Exhibition was over, the museum was preserved because of its great success. The recreated village still contains the streets, squares and facades of the different areas of Spain. The village hosts many different events including gastronomic festivals, concerts in summer, flamenco shows, private events such as weddings, and children's activities.

The Poble Espanyol exhibits more than 30 artisans who regularly work within the village making blown glass, leather, ceramics, jewelry, masks, baskets, and Spanish guitars. They create handmade items which are sold to the visitors.

The Poble Espanyol also contains rides, stores with gourmet products, and restaurants or bars with cuisine from the different regions of Spain.

Museum Fran Daurel

The museum Fran Daurel is situated within the Poble Espanyol. It is a private collection open to the public featuring over 295 works of contemporary Spanish artists including Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Antoni Tàpies, Barceló, Josep Guinovart and Amat. The museum holds paintings, sculptures, tapestries, drawings and ceramics, and a sculpture garden, with 41 large sculptures. The works by Picasso include ceramics from the 1950s and 1960s, where he used both traditional techniques and his own methods.

Theater

The Poble Espanyol has a theater that regularly organizes entertainment for children: theater, dance, music, clowns or puppets. The Barcelona School of Theatre also performs at this theater.

Tablao de Carmen

The Tablao de Carmen was opened in 1988 as an homage to the great dancer Carmen Amaya. The venue is located in the heart of Poble Espanyol, in the same place, where she danced for the King of Spain Alfonso XIII during the opening of the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. Nowadays the Tablao de Carmen is a popular flamenco theatre-restaurant, offering its visitors one of the best flamenco shows in Barcelona, accompanied by a delicious tapas menu. Tablao de Carmen displays some of the photo legacy of Carmen Amaya. On special occasions visitors can hear the guitar of her husband Juan Antonio Agüero (by Santos Hernández 1930), which is a part of the patrimony of the founder family of Tablao de Carmen.[2]

Activities for children

In addition to shows that take place every week in the theatre, Poble Espanyol has other activities for children: workshops (every Sunday morning), TOT Puppet Festival (March), living nativity scenes during Christmas, and family shows throughout the year (such as Carnivals, Santa Eulàlia, Fiesta Mayor, and Festival La Mercè).

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References
  1. Documenting Spain: Artists, Exhibition Culture, and the Modern Nation, 1929Ð1939. Penn State Press. pp. 35–. ISBN 0-271-04720-8.
  2. Tablao de Carmen Flamenco Barcelona
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