Barcelona · Spain
Plaça de l'Àngel
A practical guide to Plaça de l'Àngel in Barcelona: the old Roman gate of Barcino, the legend of Saint Eulàlia's angel, what to look at in five minutes and how to avoid the pickpockets at Metro Jaume I.
Not a square to go out of your way for, but it's the best doorway into the Gothic Quarter. Five minutes is enough if you know where to look.
Plaça de l’Àngel is a triangular square on the eastern edge of the Gothic Quarter, where Via Laietana meets Carrer de la Princesa, Carrer de Jaume I and Carrer de la Llibreteria. The east gate of Roman Barcino stood here, and in the Middle Ages it remained the Portal Major, the main entrance to the city.
Our experience
It was the starting point of our walk through the Gothic Quarter, on Wednesday, May 27 at 14:35, after lunch at Bodega La Palma. Our hotel was a step away, so we crossed it several times that day. We gave it five minutes: the angel, Carrer de la Llibreteria and off on foot toward the Pont del Bisbe. The full route is in our arrival in Barcelona.
A bit of history
Barcino had four gates, and this was the eastern one. Medieval towers, the Castell Vell, were built on the Roman foundations, and parts of them lasted into the 18th century.
The name comes from a legend about Saint Eulàlia, the child martyr who is Barcelona’s patron saint. In the version the City Council tells today, in 1339 her remains were being carried in procession from Santa Maria del Mar to the new cathedral, and when they reached this gate the coffin became impossible to lift. An angel appeared and pointed at a canon, who confessed to stealing one of the saint’s toes. He gave it back and the procession moved on. An older tradition places the scene in the year 877.
In 1618 a gilded angel with its finger raised was placed on top of an obelisk. The obelisk was removed in 1821 because it blocked traffic, and the angel you see today in its niche is a copy installed in 1966. In 1908 the cutting of Via Laietana gave the square its triangular shape.
What to see, in order
-
The angel in its niche
Look up at the facades on the north side: a small figure with one finger raised. It's a 1966 copy; the original is in the Museu d'Història de Barcelona (MUHBA).
-
Carrer de la Llibreteria
The straight street climbing toward the cathedral follows the line of one of the two main streets of Roman Barcino.
-
The metro entrance
Roman remains turned up when Jaume I station was dug. The ground level of the Roman city lies 3 to 4 meters below today's pavement.
-
The four exits
Jaume I leads to Plaça de Sant Jaume, Princesa to El Born, Llibreteria to the cathedral and Via Laietana toward the port. You can walk everywhere from here.
Tips we wish we’d known
Tips
- Start your Gothic Quarter walk here and do it as a loop: that way you don't repeat streets.
- The angel is high up and small. If you can't find it, stand in the middle of the square and scan the facades on the north side.
- There are no restrooms on the square; the nearest is in a café, with a purchase.
Do
- Come up from the metro with your bag cross-body in front: Jaume I is among the stations with the most pickpockets in the city, especially on the escalators and at the turnstiles.
- Come back at night if you're staying nearby: without traffic it feels more like the medieval gate it once was.
- Take a peek at Plaça de Sant Just, one block away, with one of Barcelona's oldest parish churches.
Don’t
- Don't sign clipboard petitions by the metro exit: while you read, someone else opens your bag.
- Don't accept the "gold ring" someone claims to find at your feet, and don't let anyone tie a bracelet on your wrist.
- Don't sit down at the restaurants with touts on Carrer de la Princesa and Carrer de Jaume I.
Frequently asked questions
What is at Plaça de l'Àngel?
It was the east gate of Roman Barcino and later the main gate of the medieval city. Today it's a crossroads with the Jaume I metro exit and an angel in a niche.
Why is it called Plaça de l'Àngel?
For the legend of an angel who, while Saint Eulàlia's remains were being carried to the cathedral, pointed at a canon who had stolen one of the saint's toes.
How much time should you give it?
Five minutes. It's a place you pass through, not a destination.
Which metro stop is there?
Jaume I, on the yellow L4 line.