Montjuïc
Montjuïc - Hill of the Jews in medieval Catalan language or maybe a corruption of Latin Mons Jovicus (that is, hill of Jupiter). The name is found in several locations in Spain: the Catalan cities of Girona and Barcelona have a Montjuïc, as does the island of Menorca. When written in a Spanish rather than Catalan context it is is generally spelled Montjuich.
Barcelona's Montjuïc it is a massive hill overlooking the harbour, to the southeast of the city center. The eastern side of the hill is almost a sheer cliff, giving it a commanding view over the city's harbour immediately below the cliff. The top of the hill was the site of several fortifications, the latest of which (the Castell de Montjuïc) remains today. The fortress largely dates from the 17th century, with 18th century additions. In 1842 the garrison (loyal to the Madrid government) shelled parts of the city following disturbances. It served as a prison, often holding political prisoners, until the time of General Franco. The castle was the site of numerous executions: anarchists in the 19th century and (having been held by both sides during the Spanish Civil War) of both spanish republicans and nationalists. Catalan politician Lluís Companys i Jover was executed there in 1940.
Naturally wooded, the slopes of the Montjuïc were traditionally used to grow food and graze animals by the people of the neighboring Ciutat Vella. In the 1890s the forests were partially cleared, opening space for parklands. The site was selected to host the 1929 International Exposition (a World's Fair), for which the first large-scale construction on the hill was begun. The surviving buildings from this effort include the grand Palau Nacional, the Estadi Olímpic (the Olympic stadium), the ornate Font Màgica fountains, and a grand staircase leading up from the foot of the Montjuïc at the south end of the Avenida de la Reina Maria Cristina, past the Font Màgica and through the Plaça del Marquès de Foronda and the Plaça de les Cascades to the Palau Nacional. The Poble Espanyol, a "spanish village" of different buildings built in different styles of Spanish architecture, also survives, located on the western side of the hill. Mies van der Rohe's German national pavilion was constructed at the foot of the hill, near the Plaça del Marquès de Foronda. It was demolished in 1930 but was later rebuilt.
Also completed in 1929, the Olympic stadium was intended to host an antifascist alternative Olympics in 1936, in opposition to the 1936 Berlin Olympics. These plans were cancelled due to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. The stadium serves as the home for football team Espanyol (the club are scheduled to leave for a new stadium elsewhere in the city, probably in 2005).
The roads in the slopes facing the city used to be a Formula One racing circuit, hosting the Spanish Grand Prix on four occasions. However, a terrible accident in the 1975 race saw Rolf Stommelen's car crash into the stands, killing five spectators; the Spanish Grand Prix never returned to Montjuïc as a result.
The Montjuïc was selected as the site for several of the venues of the 1992 Summer Olympics, centered around the Olympic stadium. Extensively refurbished and renamed the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. The 65,000 seater stadium saw the opening and closing ceremonies and hosted the athletics events. Around it was build the Anella Olímpica (the "Olympic Ring") of sporting venues, including the Institut Nacional d'Educació Física de Catalunya (a center of sports science), the Piscines Bernat Picornell (the venue for swimming and diving events), and the striking, telecommunications tower (image image|montjuic_communication_tower.jpg) designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava, built in 1992.
The ornate Palau Nacional houses the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, an extensive showcase of Catalan painting and sculpture
The top can be reached using a funicular and then a cableway. Part of the slopes are covered with a well attended park and gardens. The hill is often used for amateur cycling.
Also on the Montjuïc
- Fundació Miró, a modern art museum centering around a large collection of the works of Joan Miró
- Cementiri del Sud-Oest, a cemetery containing many of Barcelona's rich and celebrated, including Lluís Companys and his predescessor as President of Catalonia Francesc Macià, as well as Joan Miró, dancer Carmen Amaya and poet/priest Jacint Verdaguer. Numerous unmarked graves hold those executed in the fortress
- The botanic gardens
- The museum of ethnology
- The Catalan museum of archaeology (housed in the 1929 exhibition's palace of graphic arts)
Formula One history
| Season | Date | Winning Driver | Winning Team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | April 27 | Jochen Mass | McLaren-Ford | Report |
| 1973 | April 29 | Emerson Fittipaldi | Lotus-Ford | Report |
| 1971 | April 18 | Jackie Stewart | Tyrrell-Ford | Report |
| 1969 | May 4 | Jackie Stewart | Matra-Ford | Report |