200 years of elegance and culture on Paseo de Gracia
Paseo de Gracia turned 200 years old in 2020. Or it will in 2024. Or in 2027. No one knows for sure. It depends on whether the chosen date to celebrate the anniversary is the beginning of the project (1820), the start of construction (1821), the resumption of the works in 1824 after a pause, or the final inauguration in 1827. Whenever it is, what no one has questioned is that the Barcelona boulevard deserved celebrations befitting its splendor. With that intention, from the Paseo de Gracia Association, which we are part of, we have planned three years of activities in which to celebrate the longevity of this traditional promenade. Therefore, from 2022 to 2024 inclusive, all kinds of activities have been scheduled to celebrate the bicentenary.
Thus, for example, last summer we could see the French tightrope walker Nathan Paulin crossing Paseo de Gracia on a steel cable 70 meters above the ground, between Plaza Catalunya and Gran Via, covering a distance of 350 meters in less than 40 minutes, there and back, leaving the audience completely amazed. We could also see a 3x3 urban basketball tournament between the national teams of Catalonia, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Scotland, and Portugal. And all with its fan zone, three-point contests, and exhibition matches. These are just a few examples. But there have been others. And there will be more until next summer, when we conclude the celebrations of the second centenary with activities for all audiences. Because Paseo de Gracia now belongs to all of us who love it, take care of it, and value it. And with all of them, we want to celebrate.
Few streets in the world are as complete. Walking, shopping, eating, learning history, delighting in the art of its tiles, with its peculiar streetlights or with the majesty of some buildings... Everything is possible on Paseo de Gracia! Even turning it into a sambadrome, by the grace and work of Carlinhos Brown, at the Forum of Cultures in 2004. In part, thanks to its 42 meters width that allows a large concentration of people without public order dangers.
It wasn't always like this. Before the current boulevard was initiated, long before, the street was known as the Camino de Jesús, and popularly called the Little Path of Grace, as it was a narrow way. Then came the reform project in 1820 that would give it the breadth that has lasted to this day. The narrow and difficult path was transformed into a wide boulevard. This novelty was received with enthusiasm, as the place was surrounded by lush vegetation, creating a space on the outskirts of the cramped and suffocating walled Barcelona. Here is where the fortunate citizens found a place to stroll and enjoy its benefits.
El Paseo de Gracia se convirtió rápidamente en un espacio que cautivó a la clase burguesa. Primero con sus asientos, refrescos y jardines y, años más tarde, a las puertas del siglo XX, con la arquitectura modernista. Industriales, farmacéuticos, doctores, indianos…todos competían entre sí para conseguir la edificación más original, la más esplendorosa, la más bella, para mayor gloria y esplendor de los arquitectos del momento: Gaudí, Doménech i Muntaner, Puig i Cadafalch o Enric Sagnier, entre otros. Así se alzaron la Pedrera, la Casa Amatller, la Casa Batlló o la Casa Lleó Morera.
That display of creativity and opulence brought an exceptional splendor to the landscape. However, not all innovations were immediately understood, such as the elegant streetlights by architect Pere Falqués, which caused some indignation in Barcelona at the time.
Restoring the old splendor
With the decline of the bourgeoisie came the deterioration and abandonment of many of those stately homes, some in a ruinous state which were gradually restored. True to our commitment to contribute to the recovery and sustainability of Barcelona, in Núñez i Navarro we acquired in 2005 the Casa Lleó i Morera, located at number 35, starting a restoration that lasted two years. This emblematic modernist building regained its facade, the back courtyard, and the interior during this period. The restoration not only preserves the original architectural splendor but also pays tribute to the history and creativity that have characterized Paseo de Gracia over the years. Casa Lleó i Morera is a living testimony to the beauty and elegance that define this iconic avenue of Barcelona and represents our commitment to the preservation of the city's architectural heritage.
The unique building thus suited the environment in which it was located, a Paseo de Gracia where splendor extends not only to the buildings but also to its shops, where the most famous, most exclusive boutiques begin to settle, attracting tourists who gaze at the window displays and wander proudly, as the bourgeoisie did a century ago, flaunting bags from Armani, Chanel, Tiffany's, Stella McCartney, Saint Laurent, and the emblematic Santa Eulalia which has remained in family hands since 1843, now owned by Luis Sans, or from Loewe, precisely in the premises of Casa Lleó i Morera.
The city's media also pay tribute to Paseo de Gracia on its bicentennial. With Casa Lleó i Morera as the main feature, the special issue of La Vanguardia's Magazine dedicated a magnificent fashion feature to Vanesa Lorenzo, created by Manuel Outumuro and his team, under the direction of Joana Bonet. The iconic elevator of the House has also been acknowledged in a report signed by Isabel de Villalonga.
The one at number 35 is not our only intervention on Paseo de Gracia. A kilometer further up, next to the Jardinets de Gràcia, we acquired numbers 125 and 127, built in 1901 by Leandre Serrallach i Mas, architect and professor at the Barcelona School of Architecture. The rehabilitation project involved an ambitious transformation, merging two semi-detached houses to create a complex that appears to be a single building from its facades on Paseo de Gracia and Riera de Sant Miquel. In summary, the result is a building that combines history and modernity in one of the most emblematic places of Barcelona. The details of this and other works of our architectural heritage recovery in Barcelona can be found in the Rehabilitation Area of our website.
Thus we have reached the present day, in which the boulevard of Barcelona represents a perfect symbiosis of tradition and modernity, of exclusive spaces and popular places, of fashion boutiques and historic buildings. Like Loewe in the Casa Lleó i Morera, or an exhibition hall in the Palau Robert... A place where history, culture, and elegance continue to flourish, with a legacy that endures over time. Its creation in a time of crisis and its evolution make it a testimony to the spirit and resilience of Barcelona. Today, it remains a place of elegance and culture, a stage where the past and present intertwine in a unique way. Long live Paseo de Gracia, an artery that, 200 years later, continues to enjoy enviable health.
