The Cascada Monumental fountain – the jewel of Barcelona's city park

In the northern part Barcelona's Ciutadella City Park you will find a place where everyone must stop. 

This is the Cascada Monumental fountain ("cascada" is Spanish for cascade or waterfall), which is one of the most striking and photographed features of the entire park.

(If you want a good photo, I recommend going here really early in the morning - due to the rush of tourists, it's quite a problem not to have strangers in the photo...)

Cascada Monumental fountain in a city park in Barcelona

Few people, however, know more about its history - such as the fact that the Master himself took part in its construction Antoni Gaudí. 

How was the fountain created and what does it depict? 

In collaboration with local fountain sculptors created by architect Josep Fontserè. He went to different parts of the world for inspiration: according to some, he was inspired by the Trevi Fountain in Rome, he himself admitted that the main model of his work was rather the Palais Longchamp in Marseille. 

Statue of the Birth of Venus

Under the main arch you will find the centerpiece of the fountain: a sculpture called The Birth of Venus. It classically emerges from a shell and you can admire it from a distance across the lake from the front (but you won't see much from a distance), or you'd better go up to it by one of the two gradual side staircases, from where the views are much better.

Two sea nymphs are sitting below Venus and four seahorses are running a little further down. They are said to refer to the fountain in Marseille, on which there are four bulls in an identical position. 

A golden statue of Aurora in a racing carriage at the very top

Above the arch you will find the most characteristic element of the entire fountain: Quadriga de l'Aurora, i.e. a golden statue of Aurora standing on a racing chariot drawn by four horses. She holds a lighted torch in her right hand as a symbol of light, the ideals of knowledge and freedom. This single sculpture, which does not fit into the entire "water" concept of the fountain, was introduced into the work by its author, the architect Fontserè. 

Do you know why residents didn't like the Cascada Monumental fountain? 

The Cascada Monumental fountain was first presented to the public in 1881 and the Catalan architect Josep Fontserè worked on it. He was a very famous builder in his time, just like his father, and he also has several other buildings in the vicinity of the fountain (e.g. the nearby waterworks and today the library). Water Reservoir or the famous Mercat del Born market in the city district of the same name). 

Interestingly, when the fountain was first revealed, it was quite far from what it looks like today – it did not contain the upper part, it was free of all today's sculptures and details that make it so interesting. It was precisely because of this that the building was strongly criticized and even the local residents did not like it very much. 

It took another six years to get the Cascada Monumental to its current form: the famous architect during the years 1882 - 1888 added the upper arch, added all the golden statues and overall the fountain more in the spirit Catalan modernism "decorated". Completion in 1888 was important because that year saw the first Barcelona World Exposition ("Barcelona Universal Exposition"). 

And how was Gaudí actually involved in the fountain?

Although Antoni Gaudí was involved in the Cascada Monumental, but at that time he was still a student and therefore only a small part of the entire building was entrusted to him, which is actually not even visible: Gaudí was responsible for the hydraulic system driving the water in the fountain. 

But what many people don't know is that after all, Gaudí left some visible imprint on the Cascada Monumental: it is two statuettes in the form of a medallion with lizards, who later became a symbol of Gaudi's work. You can find them at the top of the fountain next to the door that says "Aquarium". 

In addition to Gaudí, later he also contributed to the fountain, especially its lighting. Carles Buïgaswho became famous for building Barcelona's Magic fountain na Montjuic. 

The only visible work of Gaudí on the Cascada Monumental

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