This beautiful park is inspired by the Jardin de Luxembourg in Paris and was constructed on the parcel of the formerly citadel of Barcelona. It is situated in the Ciutat Vella district, near the train station Estació de França, the Arc the Triomf and Vila Olímpica.

On the 11th of September in 1714, after a siege of 13 months, Barcelona felt under the fleet of Spanish king Felipe V. He built this fort, and next to this a castle on the hill of Montjuïc, all to control the city. The star shaped citadel was at that time the biggest of Europe and its name derived from the present park and the La Ciutadella quarter where it’s situated. The construction of the citadel, between 1716 and 1718, was in hands of the Flemish military engineer Pròsper de Verboom.

For the assembling, 1.200 homes in the La Ribera area had to be taken down. The 4.500 stunned residents where left all by themselves. However two years later, during the reign of Maria Cristina de Borbó, the ciutadel was renovated and eventually donated to the city of Barcelona by general Prim.

Nevertheless, during the Spanish revolution of 1968 the citadel was broken down. Only the chapel (that belong to the Parish of the army), the palace of the governor (now a college) and the arsenal (the present seat of the Catalan parliament) are still there.

The World Fair of 1888 burdened the former mayor of Barcelona, Josep Fontserè with the assembling of the park on the greenfield land. Fontserè worked among others with the at that time very young Antoni Gaudí, that is for the Cascada Monumental, a fountain with waterfall that still is the climax of the park.

At the moment Parc de la Ciutadella is one of the biggest parks of the city looking at its 17.42 hectares. This calculated without the grounds of the Zoo of Barcelona, which is also part of the park. A visit to Parc de la Ciutadella is a recommendation during every season of the year, because next to the Cascada Monumental you’ll also find beautiful footpaths, many sculptures, a romantic garden and even a lake where you can make use of rowing boats.

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