Barcelona has its own Venus

Just as other cities have their Venus, Barcelona has one of its own. The Venus of Barcelona is a Venus Pudica (a modest Venus), very feminine and made of solid bronze. She is thought to be stepping out of a bath: she is covering herself with a sheet, her hair is gathered up in a bun and she has no feet, so you can imagine they are under the water.

An exquisite sculpture that has yet to be dated. She was found by a bricklayer, Joan Morales, back in ‘52, just below the surface in a side street off Carrer Manuel Sancho, and her origins have never been established since. There are all sorts of opinions, but the one I’d like to believe is that she’s Roman, as some archaeologists date her to the 1st century AD.

This beautiful sculpture, hidden from the public, sleeps in the archives of the Museu d’Història de la Ciutat. You might get to see her if you explain that you want to study her.

Shall we go and wake up the Venus of Barcelona?