Visited by two million people, Barcelona’s World Fair in 1888 put the medieval Spanish trading port firmly on the map of modern commerce.
In 1888 Barcelona was on the rise economically and was determined to portray itself as a grand European city of note. The booming economy was supporting a powerful class of merchants, manufacturers and financiers
Barcelona’s first World Fair aimed to showcase the city’s industrial, scientific and cultural achievement. Centrally sited on 115 acres of land, which now form the formal garden park Ciutadella, the event has left an enduring footprint on the city and contributed to the look and feel of modern-day Barcelona. Infrastructure constructed for the Expo included the event’s grandiose entrance, the Arc de Triomf (pictured), designed by noted Catalan architect Josep Vilaseca I Casanovas. Barcelona, now one of the world’s major tourist and business destinations, was cultivating a fresh, welcoming identity. New monuments such as the towering statue of Christopher Columbus were positioned at the foot of La Rambla pointing to the city’s history of exploration. At the top, the Plaça Catalunya was conceived as a grand public square and buzzes today with crowds from around the world.