The Font de Canaletes

The Font de Canaletes is an iconic fountain for the people of Barcelona. It’s a meeting point for young people and, above all, the place to celebrate Barça’s big victories.

The original fountain, from the early 18th century, stood inside the Estudis Generals building (the University) in the Raval. The water came down from Collserola and branched out through little channels (‘unes canaletes’ in Catalan, hence the fountain’s name) until it reached the Font de Canaletes.

The university was closed, and the fountain was moved to the top of the Ramblas, where we find it today. But the wrought-iron fountain we see now isn’t the original one: it was made in 1888 and designed for the Universal Exhibition.

In 1901, with a good eye for business, Esteve Sala took advantage of the crowds that gathered round the fountain to collect water and set up a kiosk selling aguardiente and anisette. It was an instant success, and before long Josep Puig i Cadafalch was asked to rebuild the kiosk in the Catalan Art Nouveau (Modernisme) style of the time. In 1951 the kiosk was pulled down by order of Barcelona City Council, and the fountain stood alone once again.

"Barcelona (1923-28) by Wolfgang Weber"

It was said back then, and it’s still said today, that whoever drinks water from the Font de Canaletes will one day return to Barcelona. The water in the old days was good and cool and the location was ideal, so people used to queue up to fill their jugs. Today’s water, though drinkable, isn’t exactly great, let’s say…

Still, the ‘Font de Canaletes’ isn’t the only one with this design: in Barcelona you can find as many as 15 fountains exactly like it, scattered around the city. Here are the ones I’ve found (3 so far: in Plaça de la Barceloneta, on Gran de Gràcia at Carrer Carolines and on Pau Claris at Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes), but if you know of any more, I’d love you to tell me so I can add them.
– 3 more now, thanks to Javi Lobra
– One more, thanks to Yago

They’re marked on the map below.

View Fonts de Canaletes in a larger map

As a curiosity, this fountain design isn’t only found in Barcelona; you can find it outside the city too. Lloret de Mar also has a ‘Font de Canaletes’, on the Paseo de las Palmeras. It was a gift from Barcelona to the town of Lloret de Mar in 1968. There’s even a Font de Canaletes thousands of kilometres away, in Plaza de Catalunya in the Recoleta neighbourhood of Buenos Aires.

You’ll find a few more details about the fountain on altres Barcelones.