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The Four Columns

The Four Columns are four Ionic columns originally created by Josep Puig i Cadafalch in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Erected in 1919, they once stood where the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc now stands. The columns symbolized the four stripes of the Catalan senyera and were intended as a major icon of Catalanism. They were demolished in 1928 during Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship, when public Catalanist symbols were removed ahead of the 1929 Universal Exposition. After a long campaign by the Network of Civic and Cultural Entities of the Catalan Countries, the columns were restored in December 2010.

The Four Columns standing before a domed building and fountain
The Four Columns in front of a domed building and cascading fountain.
© · CC BY 3.0
The Four Columns in front of a large hilltop museum building, with a crowd gathered below.
The Four Columns stand before the National Art Museum of Catalonia, with visitors gathered at the base.
© · CC BY 3.0
The Four Columns standing in a plaza with a circular fountain in front and a city and mountains in the distance.
The Four Columns overlook a plaza with a fountain and a broad city view beyond.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Four Columns standing behind a fenced construction site under an overcast sky.
The Four Columns rise above a fenced construction area in Barcelona.
December 2010 © · CC BY 3.0
The Four Columns standing on Montjuic with a city street and buildings below.
The Four Columns on Montjuic overlook Barcelona’s streets and buildings below.
© · CC BY 2.0

Identification

TitleThe Four Columns
Original namesLes Quatre Columnes; Las Cuatro Columnas; Le Quattro Colonne
Also known asPillars of Puig i Cadafalch
TypeGroup of four freestanding Ionic columns

Creator

DesignerJosep Puig i Cadafalch

Historical context

Year erected1919
Year demolished1928
Year reconstructed2010

Discovery and provenance

Original locationBarcelona, at the site now occupied by the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, below the Palau Nacional, Montjuïc
Current locationA few metres from the original site at Montjuïc, Barcelona

Physical characteristics

HeightAbout 20 metres originally; 18.7 metres in the reconstruction
Crown figuresFigures representing four winged victories were planned for the top but were never made

Iconography and meaning

SymbolismThe four stripes of the Catalan senyera (Catalan flag)
Intended meaningIntended to become a symbol of Catalanism / Catalan nationalism
Current symbolic meaningA symbol of the perseverance, conviction, and firmness of the Catalan language, Catalan culture, and Catalan identity

History and restoration

DemolitionDemolished in 1928 during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera as part of the systematic removal of public Catalanist symbols before the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition (Universal Exposition) at Montjuïc
ReconstructionRebuilt in 2010 following Puig i Cadafalch's original plans after a long campaign by Catalan civic and cultural organizations, with support from the Parliament of Catalonia; the restoration approval was made on 27 June 2008
Reconstruction purposeTo restore this artistic heritage of Catalonia in homage to Catalan patriots
Reconstruction noteThe rebuilt columns were placed a few metres from the original location and were completed by the end of 2010

Related works

Similar sculptureThe Columns of the UAB, commissioned in 1999 from Andreu Alfaro and installed on the Bellaterra Campus of the Autonomous University of Barcelona; made of red granite and spiralling upward