Passeig de Gràcia (Catalan pronunciation: [pəˈsɛdʒ də ˈɣɾasiə]) is one of the major avenues in Barcelona (Catalonia) and one of its most important shopping and business areas, containing several of the city's most celebrated pieces of architecture. It is located in the central part of Eixample, stretching from Plaça Catalunya to Carrer Gran de Gràcia.
Passeig de Gràcia is regarded as the most expensive street in Barcelona and in Spain.
Formerly known as Camí de Jesús ("Jesus Road"), the Passeig de Gràcia was originally little more than a quasi-rural lane surrounded by gardens joining Barcelona and Gràcia, which was then still a separate town. This was still the case at the time of the first urbanisation project in 1821, which was devised by the liberal city council, and led by Ramon Plana. This project had to be cancelled due to the epidemics that were raging in Barcelona at the time.
After the demise of the liberal government with the return of Absolutism in 1824, the project was taken up again by general José Bernaldo de Quirós, marquis of Campo Sagrado. The new avenue was 42 metres (138 ft) wide in 1827 and became a favourite place for aristocrats to display their horse riding skills and expensive horse-drawn carriages all through the 19th century.
Passeig de Gràcia is an underground railway and metro station in Barcelona located under Passeig de Gràcia, in Eixample district. It is one of the Barcelona's busiest railway stations and important stop for Barcelona Metro network. It is served by Rodalies de Catalunya suburban railway lines R2 and regional lines R11, R13, R14, R15 and R16, and it is also served by TMB-operated Barcelona Metro lines L2, L3 and L4.
Passeig de Gràcia station should not be confused with Gràcia station, which is located some 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) away on metro lines L6 and L7, and various other Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya lines.
The station includes an artwork entitled Ballarins nus by Angel Orensanz.
The first railway station that existed in Passeig de Gràcia was built in 1902. The original station was not underground and lines were linked directly with the lines to Girona and Tarragona. In 1950s it was decided to build a new underground station and cover all the tracks along Aragó street. The work started in 1954 and the station was finished in 1959. It is planned to reform the railway station completely to make it more accessible and to improve its aspect.
Gràcia (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈɡɾasiə]) is a district of the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It comprises the neighborhoods of Vila de Gràcia, Vallcarca i els Penitents, El Coll, La Salut and Camp d'en Grassot i Gràcia Nova. Gràcia is bordered by the districts of Eixample to the south, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi to the west and Horta-Guinardó to the east. A vibrant and diverse enclave of Catalonian life, Gràcia was an independent municipality for centuries before being formally annexed by Barcelona in 1897 as a part of the city's expansion.
Gràcia was established in 1626, by a Novitiate of Carmelites, who established a convent there, called "Nostra Senyora de Gràcia (Our Lady of Grace)". Following the loss of Catalonian independence from Spain in 1714, Gràcia remained an independent municipality in the direction of the Serra de Collserola mountains (north/northwest) from central Barcelona. Passeig de Gràcia, the street which is today home to the most high-end international fashion brands and posh hotels (Barcelona’s version of the Champs-Élysées), was back then a country road linking the town to the larger city, through the plain of Barcelona.
Gràcia is a railway station located under Plaça de Gal·la Placídia in the Gràcia district of Barcelona. It is served both by lines L6 and L7 of the Barcelona Metro, and by lines S1, S2, S5 and S55 of the Metro del Vallès commuter rail system. All these lines are operated by Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya, who also run the station.
The station is also expected to become part of L8 in the future with the planned extension of that line from Espanya metro station, and would become a junction station for the three FGC Barcelona Metro lines in operation in the city.
Gràcia station should not be confused with Passeig de Gràcia station, which is located some 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) away on metro lines L2, L3 and L4, and various Rodalies de Catalunya suburban lines.