6 Curiosities and facts about Barcelona

Foundation ... with controversy

There are two legends! The first says that Barcelona was founded in the 3rd century B.C. by Ámilcar Barca and this would explain the Roman name of Barcelona that was Barcino. But the second version says that it could not have been Barca the founder, because Barcelona had already been founded by Hercules 400 years before.

Legend says that Hercules sailed on the Mediterranean Sea with a fleet of nine ships led by Jason. When they sailed near the coast of Catalonia, a storm dispersed the fleet. Eight ships returned, but the ninth did not. Jason asked Hercules (who does 12 jobs also arranges time to make one more) to search the missing ship. When Hercules discoverd the ship, founded a city called ... Barca Nona (that means the ninth ship).

The statue of Columbus points to ... the wrong place

It should point to the American continent, but in fact it points to the sea, because it was considered that this was the easiest direction to associate with the American continent.

Statue of Columbus

Why does FC Barcelona celebrate their triumphs in the Canaletas fountain?

In 13 of the Ramblas, there was a newspaper called "La Rambla", where every Sunday the editors showed the results of FC Barcelona from one of the windows. When the team won, the fans (named los culés) celebrated right there ... and the tradition that began in 1930 continues today.

Rambla - Canaletas Fountain

The “magic square” on the facade of the Sagrada Familia

On the facade of the Passion, next to the "Kiss of Judas", designed by the sculptor Josep María Subirachs there is a mysterious magic square. The main square is composed of 16 squares with numbers that added, the result is always 33 ... the age of Jesus Christ.

Sagrada Familia - Magic Square

Gaudí was not the original architect of the SagradaFamilia

Francisco de Paula del Villar was the original architect (in 1882), but a year later Gaudí and his modernist genius came into action, changed the original design and Villar said goodbye.

Sagrada Familia

Hit by a tram and mistaken for a beggar

It was in this tragic way that Gaudí died at the age of 73 (June 10, 1926), three days after being hit by a tram in Cortes de Barcelona Street. As he wore dirty clothes because of the dust of the works, walkers and drivers thought he was a beggar and nobody came to help him.