The Paseo de Gracia

The history of Passeig de Gracia goes back to the 18th century, when it was built as a rural road that connected Barcelona with the town of Gracia.
The old Camino de Jesús, of a rural type and with orchards on both sides, was the main route from the municipality of Gracia - which was independent from the city of Barcelona until 1897 - to Barcelona, ​​where it was entered through the Portal del Ángel . The name came from the old Franciscan convent of Santa María de Jesús (1427), located at Aragó street, it was the only building on the Barcelona plain outside the city walls, and it consisted of a convent, cloister, church, cemetery and orchard, until it was destroyed in the War of Independence.

In 1821 the Barcelona City Council presented the first urbanization project, work of Ramón Plana. Due to the epidemics that devastated the city at that time, the project had to stop. In 1824 absolutism returned to Spain and the project resumed on August 28.
The Paseo, as we know it today, inaugurated in 1827, was 42 meters wide and was the favorite place for the aristocracy to display their skills in the art of horse riding and their luxurious cars throughout the 19th century. At this time, the Paseo was one of the best-known recreational places in the city, with cafes, restaurants, dance halls, attractions, and theaters.

This promenade was to be a determining axis in the process of establishing the Barcelona "Eixample" project designed by Ildefonso Cerdá. A project that lasted the three decades between the 1860s and the 1890s. Around the Paseo, a low-density residential nucleus was defined, made up largely of single-family buildings. Back then, the area was known for its gentry gardens and pleasure villas. During the second half of the 19th century, the area experienced rapid development and became an important commercial and financial center for the city. In the last decade of the century, little by little the entire sector of the city began to gain commercial prominence, attracting the bourgeoisie, which replaced isolated houses with gardens, with apartment buildings.

At the end of the 19th century, Passeig de Gracia became the main artery of modernist Barcelona. Modernist architecture was an architectural style characterized by the use of curved and sinuous shapes, exuberant ornamentation, and the use of materials such as wrought iron, ceramics, and glass. Along Passeig de Gracia, numerous modernist buildings were built designed by some of the most important architects of the time, such as Antoni Gaudí, Lluís Domènech i Montaner and Josep Puig i Cadafalch.

Among the most famous modernist buildings on Passeig de Gracia are Casa Batlló and Casa Milà, designed by Gaudí, as well as Casa Lleó Morera, designed by Domènech i Montaner. These buildings have become icons of the city and are a major tourist attraction.

Throughout the 20th century, Passeig de Gracia continued to be one of the most important avenues in Barcelona. In the 1960s, the area experienced an important transformation with the construction of several office buildings and shopping centers. Despite these changes, many of the original modernist buildings have been preserved and have become landmarks in the city.

Today, Passeig de Gracia is one of the liveliest and most vibrant avenues in Barcelona, ​​with a wide range of shops, restaurants and cafes. The area is still an important commercial and financial center of the city, as well as an important tourist and cultural center.