Avinguda del Paral·lel
Encyclopedia
Avinguda del Paral·lel (əβiŋˈguðə ðəɫ pəɾəɫˈɫɛɫ; , Avenue of the Parallel) is one of the main streets of the city of Barcelona
, dividing Ciutat Vella
, Eixample
and Sants-Montjuïc
districts
. It receives this name because it is (unlike any other street in Barcelona) parallel to the Equator
. It runs from Plaça d'Espanya, where the city's exhibition halls are located, to the seafront, Plaça de la Carbonera and the passenger ship port, dividing the neighbourhood of Poble Sec, on the side of Montjuïc
, from the neighbourhoods of Sant Antoni and El Raval
. It was officially inaugurated on October 11, 1894.
El Paral·lel, as the avenue and sometimes the surrounding quarter are called, is most known for theatres (as of 2009, there are three in the avenue, Apolo, Condal and Victoria, but there were many more), as well as cabarets and erotic shows, or the Sala Apolo. In the past it was the core of Barcelona's nightlife, with music halls and other venues, but in the last two decades its importance has diminished greatly, in favour of the city centre and Eixample
, and some urban decay
is visible. El Molino, once one of the city's most renowned cabarets, is being rebuilt.
name of the street, according to the city layout plan of 1859 by Ildefons Cerdà
.
The street was officially opened October 8th, 1894.
The street had other official names at different times, although it was always known as Paral·lel:
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, dividing Ciutat Vella
Ciutat Vella
Ciutat Vella is a district of Barcelona, numbered District 1. The name means "old city" in Catalan and refers to the oldest neighborhoods in the city of Barcelona, Spain. Ciutat Vella is nestled between the Mediterranean Sea and the neighborhood called l'Eixample...
, Eixample
Eixample
The Eixample is a district of Barcelona between the old city and what were once surrounding small towns , constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries....
and Sants-Montjuïc
Sants-Montjuïc
Sants-Montjuïc is one of the ten districts Barcelona has been split in since 1984, numbered District 3. Comprising very different areas of the city, it covers the southern part of Barcelona, joining the two former districts II and VII , as well as the different areas comprised in the Zona Franca...
districts
Districts of Barcelona
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain proper is presently divided into 10 districts. These are administrated by a councillor designated by the main city council, and each of them have some powers relating to issues such as urbanism or infrastructure in their area. The current division of the city into...
. It receives this name because it is (unlike any other street in Barcelona) parallel to the Equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
. It runs from Plaça d'Espanya, where the city's exhibition halls are located, to the seafront, Plaça de la Carbonera and the passenger ship port, dividing the neighbourhood of Poble Sec, on the side of Montjuïc
Montjuïc
Montjuïc is a hill located in Barcelona, Catalonia.-Etymology:Montjuïc is translated as 'Jew Hill' in medieval Catalan, or is perhaps related to the Latin phrase Mons Jovicus . The name is found in several locations in the Catalan Countries: the Catalan cities of Girona and Barcelona both have a...
, from the neighbourhoods of Sant Antoni and El Raval
El Raval
El Raval is a neighbourhood in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, Spain. The neighborhood, especially the part closest to the port, was also informally known as Barri xinès, meaning "Chinatown" El Raval is one of the two historical neighborhoods that border the la Rambla...
. It was officially inaugurated on October 11, 1894.
El Paral·lel, as the avenue and sometimes the surrounding quarter are called, is most known for theatres (as of 2009, there are three in the avenue, Apolo, Condal and Victoria, but there were many more), as well as cabarets and erotic shows, or the Sala Apolo. In the past it was the core of Barcelona's nightlife, with music halls and other venues, but in the last two decades its importance has diminished greatly, in favour of the city centre and Eixample
Eixample
The Eixample is a district of Barcelona between the old city and what were once surrounding small towns , constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries....
, and some urban decay
Urban decay
Urban decay is the process whereby a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude...
is visible. El Molino, once one of the city's most renowned cabarets, is being rebuilt.
Other names
The original name was Paral·lel, the Catalan languageCatalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
name of the street, according to the city layout plan of 1859 by Ildefons Cerdà
Ildefons Cerdà
Ildefons Cerdà i Sunyer was the progressive Catalan Spanish urban planner who designed the 19th-century "extension" of Barcelona called the Eixample.-Biography:...
.
The street was officially opened October 8th, 1894.
The street had other official names at different times, although it was always known as Paral·lel:
- from 1874: Avenida del Marqués del Duero
- from 1932: Avinguda de Francesc Layret
- from 1939: Avenida del Marqués del Duero
- from 1979: Avinguda del Paral·lel
Transport
- There are three stations of the Barcelona MetroBarcelona MetroThe Barcelona Metro , part of the public transportation system of Barcelona, Catalonia, is an extensive network of electrified railways that run underground in central Barcelona and above ground into the city's suburbs. Since July 31, 2010, Barcelona Metro system consists of 11 lines with 165...
network on the avenue: Paral·lelParal·lel (Barcelona Metro)right|thumb|300px|View of platforms for both lines 2 and 3, Paral·lel metro stationParal·lel is the name of a Barcelona metro station, currently the southern terminus of L2 and also served by L3...
, on L2Barcelona Metro line 2Line 2 is a metro line in Barcelona operated by TMB, coloured purple and sometimes simply called línia lila. It's part of the city's ATM fare-integrated transport network...
(purple line) and L3Barcelona Metro line 3— Line 3, currently known as Zona Universitària - Trinitat Nova, coloured green and often simply referred to as Línia verda , is a metro line in Barcelona operated by TMB, and therefore part of the fare-integrated ATM transport network of the urban region...
(green line); Poble SecPoble Sec (Barcelona Metro)Poble Sec is a station of the Barcelona Metro network located in the neighbourhood of the same name, in the district of Sants-Montjuïc, Barcelona. It's served by L3 . It opened in 1975 under the name Parlamento along the other stations of the section Paral·lel-Sants Estació, then known as "IIIB"....
, on L3Barcelona Metro line 3— Line 3, currently known as Zona Universitària - Trinitat Nova, coloured green and often simply referred to as Línia verda , is a metro line in Barcelona operated by TMB, and therefore part of the fare-integrated ATM transport network of the urban region...
; and EspanyaEspanya (Barcelona Metro)Espanya or Plaça Espanya is one of the most important stations of the Barcelona Metro network, located under one of the city's largest squares, Plaça Espanya, in the Sants-Montjuïc district...
, underneath Plaça d'Espanya, served by lines L1, L3, L8Barcelona Metro line 8— Line 8, coloured pink and operated by FGC, is part of the Barcelona Metro network, and therefore of the larger ATM fare-integrated transport system...
and a number of Baix LlobregatBaix LlobregatBaix Llobregat is a comarca on the coast of Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Sant Feliu de Llobregat.-Municipalities:Populations are from 2002.* Abrera - pop. 9,166* Begues - pop. 5,023* Castelldefels - pop. 52,405...
-bound Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de CatalunyaFerrocarrils de la Generalitat de CatalunyaFerrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya , or FGC, is a railway company which operates several unconnected lines in Catalonia, Spain....
commuter lines (Metro del Baix Llobregat). - The Funicular de MontjuïcFunicular de MontjuïcThe Funicular de Montjuïc, or Montjuïc funicular, is a funicular railway in the city of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. The line is largely in tunnel and connects the Barcelona Metro Paral·lel station with the hill of Montjuïc and the various sporting and other facilities there. The funicular uses...
is accessed from Paral·lelParal·lel (Barcelona Metro)right|thumb|300px|View of platforms for both lines 2 and 3, Paral·lel metro stationParal·lel is the name of a Barcelona metro station, currently the southern terminus of L2 and also served by L3...
station.