Arc del Triomf, the gate to the World Fair

Built in1888 by Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas, it was the monumental access to the World Fair that took place in the Ciutadella Park that year. This was the first World Fair ever in Spain and the first one of the two that have been held in Barcelona.

Its peculiarity is the use of bricks, with a combination of stone and ceramic, materials that were typically used at that time. In the two pillars of the arch there are many bats represented, an ancient symbol of an old king, James I of Aragon, from the 13th century. Together with the monument to Columbus, the Arch became an important symbol of the Expo and, for this reason, once the Expo ended they decided not to tear it down.