Parc de la Cuitadella - Waterfall Monument - Golden Chariot

About Parc Cuitadella, Waterfall Monument & Golden Chariot

Parc de la Ciutadella is the second most famous green space in Barcelona city (after Parc Güell and is a great place for a walk, picnic or for rowing on the lake.

Within the grounds of Parc de la Ciutadella, there are several attractions: The waterfall monument with Golden Chariot, Barcelona Zoo, the Catalan Parliament, Three Dragons castle & Greenhouses.

Citadell Fortress to Parc de la Ciutadella Creation

• 1713: During the Spanish War of Succession, Barcelona was laid siege for thirteen months by the army of King Felipe V of Spain. The city fell to King Felipe V.
• 1714: King Felipe V initiates construction of the citadel fortress as a means of supressing Catalan society in Barcelona and prevent rebellion.
• 1714: A substantial part of La Ribera district was levelled to obtain space to construct the fortress, leaving its inhabitants homeless. Learn more about the levelling of La Ribera on a visit to Born Cultural Centre.

• 1717: Hundreds of Catalans were forced to work on the construction for three years, while the rest of the city provided financial backing and warfare-related expenses as well, with a new tax (el cadastre). Upon completion La Citadel was the largest fortress in Europe.
• 1717: Citadel fortress was star shaped with five corners, giving defensive power with a long defensive perimeter and good cannon sight lines. It included enough buildings to garrison 8,000 troops to guard a Barcelona population of 104 thousand, or if you like one soldier for every 13 citizens.
• 1754: Construction of the Barceloneta neighbourhood began to rehouse citizens displaced by the citadel.
• 1841: Barcelona's city authorities decided to destroy the fortress, which was hated by Barcelona's citizens because of it's use to supress the population.
• 1843: under the regime of Maria Cristina, Queen Regent of Spain, the citadel was restored.
• 1844: Maria Cristina's daughter Isabell II is declared of age and Queen of Spain.
• 1848: General Espartero (Joaquín Baldomero Fernández-Espartero Álvarez de Toro) raised most of the buildings within the fortress as well as its walls by bombarding it from the nearby Montjuïc hill fortress, which helped him gain political popularity.

• 1869: As the political climate liberalised enough to permit it, General prim decided to turn over what was left of the fortress to the city and some buildings were demolished under Catalan orders, for it was viewed as by the citizens as a much-hated symbol of central Spanish rule.
• 1872: The Citadel Ruins and remains of the site was to be turned in to a park.
• 1888: Josep Fontseré designed the park to accommodate the 1888 Universal Exhibition, Exposición Universal de Barcelona (1888). Spain's first International World Fair.

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Visiting Parc Cuitadella, Waterfall Monument & Golden Chariot

Within Parc de la cuitadella, you will find many interesting monuments, statues and other points of interest that you can visit.
1. Parc de la cuitadella waterfall monument: (cascade in Spanish), was first inaugurated in 1881 without sculptures and was criticised by the press. The monument was amended by the addition of a fountain and some minor sculptures and was on display for the universal exposition of 1888. It was erected by Josep Fontseré with small contributions by Antonio Gaudí who was an architectural student at the time. Fontseré loosely made it to bear resemblance to the Trevi fountain of Rome. The stairs to either side are like enormous crab pincers which serve to access a small podium in the centre with a sculpture of Venus standing on an open clam. (designed by Venanci Vallmitana)
2. Quadriga de la'Aurora: (Golden Charriot) Designed by sculptor Rossend Nobas from wrought iron and originally with a thin layer of gold. Cast in Iron by Alejandro Wohlguemuth in 1888 from the original plaster sculpture the final weight was calculated at 30 tons so Elijah Rogent, director of the works of the park since 1886, had to reinforce the structure of the waterfall monument to support the sculpture.
3. Glorieta de la Transsexual Sonia: The park's bandstand is dedicated to a transsexual, Sonia Rescalvo Zafra, who was murdered there on 6 October 1991 by right-wing extremists.

4. Three Dragons castle & Greenhouses: were built for the 1888 word fair.
5. Catalan Parliament: is the old citadel Arsenal and today houses the Catalan Parliament.
6. Mamoth Sculpture: by Miquel Dalmau made from cement and inugurated on the 12th December 1907. Is a life sized sculpture of a mamoth that once roamed the plains of Europe.
7. Barcelona Zoo: Built using the buildings left vacant after 1888 world fair
8. Homenatge a l'Exposició Universal de 1888: by Antoni Clavé is a modern sculpture inugurated in 1991 to pay homage industrialisation, a big theme of the 1888 word fair.
9. Parc Cuitadella boating lake: in the middle of the parc where you can rent small paddle boats.

Parc de la Ciutadella Boating Lake hours and Prices

• 24th march to 22nd September: All days including public holidays, 10:00h to 21:00h
• 23rd September to March 21st: All days including public holidays, 10:00h to 18:00h
• Prices: 6.00 Euros - 2 people 30 minutes, 9.00 Euros - three people 30 minutes, 10.00 Euros - 4 or 5 people 30 minutes, 2 euros per person for groups of 20+ people

Parc de la Ciutadella Opening Hours

• open every day: 10:00h to 22:30h
Cuitadella parc HomepageParc Cuitadella Boating lake

Getting to Parc Cuitadella, Waterfall Monument & Golden Chariot

Address: Parc De la Cuitadella S/N, Barcelona. 8003

Nearest TMB Metro is Arc de Triomf on the red (L1) line and on the Renfe RODALIES train network. Use a T-Casual or Hola-Barcelona travel card.

Saba Bamsa pay parking can be found below Passeig de Lluís Companys.

Where to stay overnight in the Parc de la Cuitadella Waterfall Monument