The Passeig de Gràcia Association has recognized the Constructora del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família Board and the Archbishop of Barcelona, Joan Josep Omella, with the XIX Friend of Passeig de Gràcia Award for their contribution to "culminating" Antoni Gaudí's masterpiece and most universal project and for "ambitiously facing the city's great future challenges". The award ceremony coincided with a particularly significant moment for the Sagrada Família: the centenary of the death of the so-called architect of God and Pope Leo XIV visited Barcelona to bless the completion of the Jesus tower, which has been "a historic moment that strengthens the international projection" of the Catalan capital.The awards were collected at the Majestic Hotel & Spa Barcelona by the delegate president of the Construction Board, Esteve Camps, and Monsignor David Abadías, auxiliary bishop of Barcelona, representing Cardinal Joan Josep Omella, who accompanied the pontiff on his trip to Catalonia. "These awards are a recognition of all the people who have worked for decades to make Antoni Gaudí's dream a reality and to complete a work that belongs to Barcelona and the world," Abadías stated.The president of the Passeig de Gràcia Association, Lluís Sans, explained that the completion of the temple will represent "much more than the culmination of an architectural work": "It is a historic opportunity to demonstrate Barcelona's ability to think big and project itself to the world with confidence, excellence, and a vision for the future". During his speech, Sans assured that the Sagrada Família is "probably the best ambassador Barcelona has in the world" and that everyone has "the responsibility to live up to its legacy". "We know that Gaudí's project to create a park on the three blocks up to Diagonal will not be realized, but we do ask for an ambitious project at the level of the global icon that the Sagrada Família has become," he stated. In this regard, the president of the association stressed that "the same breadth of vision" needed to complete the Sagrada Família is what "Barcelona needs today" to be "a safe, competitive city, open to the world and capable of leading again through culture, innovation, and creativity".Shops open on Sunday?

Sans has also defended a city that continues to attract talent, investment, and economic activity, that preserves its heritage and commercial identity, and that offers services and infrastructure like major international capitals. Hence, he has stated that it would be necessary to "reinforce commercial dynamism" by opening shops on Sundays, improve mobility to "guarantee access to the Eixample also by private vehicle" and "recover the splendor" of the emblematic spaces "that define Barcelona's identity".In this regard, on the issue of security, Sans has positively assessed a decrease in thefts in Barcelona, which he has attributed to the expansion of police forces, operational improvements, and "the expansion of the judicial staff," but has argued that there is "an abuse of the right to demonstrate." And in the area of housing, he has questioned whether to "renounce the offer of tourist apartments," as it is "essential" to maintain the capacity to host business, academic, medical, and tourist activity.

]]>

The Zurich Barcelona Marathon 2026 The race will take place on Sunday, March 15th, starting at 8:30 a.m. on Passeig de Gràcia, and will pass through several iconic locations in the city center. Now in its 47th edition, the event is expected to attract more than 30,000 runners and will cause significant disruptions to traffic and public transport, especially on Sunday morning.

]]>

Roger Bastida, with that nineteenth-century mustache he sports He himself has an air of another era, with the novel Passeig de Gràcia (Comanegra and Àfora Focus), winner of the 2026 Santa Eulàlia Prize, transports us to the most brilliant and turbulent period of contemporary Catalonia, the turn of the 20th century. While the book begins much earlier and ends with the mediocrity of the Franco regime, its depth and focus lie in the splendor of Modernism during the Noucentisme period, with the upper bourgeoisie, enriched in the Americas—yes, through slavery—as the protagonists of the industrial leap. The explosion of workers' demands and the rise of Catalan nationalism serve as a backdrop. The dominant perspective is that of those in power, and those who served them.

]]>

The history of Catalan literature is full of novels featuring Passeig de Gràcia, from Private life, by José María de Sagarra, until Broken mirror, of Mercedes Rodoreda, and The manufacturerby Dolors Monserdà. Until now, however, no fiction had taken place almost exclusively in one location. Roger Bastida (Hospitalet de Llobregat, 1990) has set himself the challenge in Passeig de Gràcia. Story of a familyFocusing on the destinies of three Catalan families—one noble, one bourgeois, and one working-class—over the last two centuries, the jury of the Santa Eulàlia Novel Prize has decided to award it. Organized by Comanegra and Àfora Focus Edicions for the past four years and endowed with 25,000 euros, the Santa Eulàlia Prize recognizes the best novel about Barcelona. In this case, the award will help to discover the young voice of Roger Bastida, who has already published three historical novels. The lizard's gaze (2017), The long festival (2020) and Under the shadow of the Washingtonia (2023), all three published by Columna. A graduate in art history, Bastida lives in Madrid, where he works as a historical consultant on series such as Temperance, Jan, Queen Victoria Eugenie and Sira He is also a professor of the history of clothing applied to costume design for film and television at ECAM (Madrid Film and Audiovisual School). "Even though he's such a young author, good literature is ageless," says Alba Cayón of Comanegra.

]]>

As soon as the traffic light turns red and the vehicles stop, pedestrians leap onto Passeig de Gràcia. But not everyone just wants to cross the street: occasionally, some want a souvenir photo with the Christmas lights and ask for pictures at one of Barcelona's most iconic spots for holiday illumination. The snapshot often lasts only a few seconds, but sometimes the photographer tries a little harder, or the model asks for more shots, making the most of the time the light is red or amber. Of course, some get distracted and don't realize they're dangerously occupying the roadway when the light turns green for cars. It's when their calculations fail that you hear the honking of horns or the exclamations of drivers eager to move on.

]]>

Barcelona's Passeig de Gràcia has once again topped the list of Spain's most expensive shopping streets for the fourth consecutive year, with rents averaging €3,420 per square meter annually, an 8% increase over last year. It has also moved up one place, from 17th to 16th, in the global ranking of the world's most expensive shopping streets, according to real estate consultancy Cushman & Wakefield.

]]>

After the Barcelona City Council made it clear that it wants the city become the European Capital of Christmas 2026The new features for this year's festivities keep coming. Aside from the earlier switch-on of the Christmas lights on Passeig de Gràcia – which will be on the 22nd – In November, the Passeig de Gràcia Association announced it will install a 12-meter-tall Christmas tree topped with a replica of the Sagrada Família star. The city thus joins the trend of having large Christmas trees, a trend with Badalona and Vigo leading the way. Furthermore, the Port of Barcelona also seeks to establish itself as a festive venue and will welcome the holidays with a lighting ceremony by the Raluy Historical Circus, which will present a unique show for the occasion.

]]>

Passeig de Gràcia has seen it all. What began as a cart path to link unwalled Barcelona and Vila de Gràcia at the beginning of the 19th century, has ended up being, according to the latest figures from ASCANA for 2023, the most expensive commercial axis in Catalonia with a rental price per square metre of €3,460, a figure only surpassed by 0,000 euros. But beyond the ranking of prices paid by companies that see Passeig de Gràcia as a business centre, this transformation has also had a full impact on the modification of the urban landscape of Barcelona.

]]>