The great monuments make Barcelona a city that has long been famous and important; the small monuments make Barcelona interesting and special for those of us who live here. That’s why today I’m going to talk about some little fountains that you’ve probably seen now and then but never stopped to look at, because they’ve been part of the urban scenery for almost 100 years.

On 19 December 1912, these three fountains created by Josep Campeny were installed. He had won the competition for this project to adorn the city.

Campeny fountains, Barcelona

The first is the ‘Font del Trinxa’ (the Trinxa fountain), on the corner of Ronda Universitat and Carrer Pelai: a boy resting on the fountain and holding up the water spout.

The second is the ‘Font del Noi dels Càntirs’ (the fountain of the boy with the water jugs), in Plaça Urquinaona, which shows a boy with two clay water jugs. In this case there are two water taps, separate from the statue.

The last one is the ‘Font de la Granota’ (the frog fountain), on the corner of Diagonal and Carrer Rosselló. This fountain shows a boy in a straw hat holding a frog, whose mouth acts as a spout over the basin, which could be meant to look like a puddle.

All three fountains are made of bronze, which time has turned greenish. The stone parts, taken from the old Montjuïc quarry, now a protected area, have been wearing away over the years, but you can still see the carvings in the style of Catalan Art Nouveau (Modernisme).

These overlooked fountains give a drink to anyone thirsty who manages to turn them on, as two of them are activated by a button on one side of the stone.

More photos of the Campeny fountains.

Here’s a short route in case anyone fancies following the trail of the 3 fountains. Depending on the order you do it in, you can finish with a drink at La Farga on Avinguda Diagonal.

View Josep Campeny’s Fountains in a larger map