This bronze statue of Pau Claris was inaugurated in 1880 and originally stood on what is now Via Laietana. It was withdrawn from public display during the Spanish Civil War, as were other monuments to famous Catalan figures such as Dr Bartomeu Robert and Rafael Casanova. In 1977 the statues were restored and reinstated in new locations throughout Barcelona.
Who Was Pau Claris?
Pau Claris Caseldemunt was born in Barcelona in 1586 and was the President of Catalonia at the start of the Catalan Revolt. In Catalan the revolt is called La Guerra dels Segadors which means the war of the reapers, refering to the farm workers who came to Barcelona from across Catalonia to take part in the revolution. Pau Claris died in 1641 shortly after the revolt began, allegedly poisoned by (for) Philip IV of Spain.
About the Artist
The Pau Claris statue is the work of Catalan Art Nouveau sculptor Rafael Atché (1854-1923). Atché is best known for the Christopher Columbus monument but was also responsible for the interesting sculptures of angels which adorn the Façade of the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona.
Location
The monument to Pau Claris stands just a few metres from the Arc de Triomf on Passeig Lluís Companys.
How to get there
The nearest metro/train station is Arc de Triomf which is on the red metro line (L1) and R1, R3 and R4 rail lines. It is also near to the Estació del Nord bus station.
Other attractions nearby
The Arc de Triomf
Monument to Roger de Llúria
Parc de la Ciutadella
The Born Cultural Centre
The Chocolate Museum
Map
Passeig de Lluís Companys, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
Hi there, very interesting post. I love finding out about these kind of things in Barcelona. I’ll be sure to stop and take a closer look next time I walk by.
Hi Rob, thanks for your comment.
I think it’s a pretty interesting statue because of the unusual pose. I’m not sure what the artist had in mind, from a distance it looks almost like Pau Claris is dancing but the expression on his face makes me think that he’s probably supposed to be making a speech.