Canaletas Fountain

The Canaletas Fountain, (Font de Canaletes in Catalan), is a fountain crowned with a lamppost located on the upper part of La Rambla near Plaza Cataluña, known as the Rambla de Canaletas.

The original fountain dates back to the 18th century and originally flowed from a deposit in the Tower of San Severo, part of the ancient Medieval wall of the city that nourished the neighborhoods of the Rambla and the Raval. The tower had a cistern known as Canaletas, perhaps in light of the multiple channels that connected it to various fountains in the area. The wall came down in the 19th century, and the tower with it. In 1862, the original fountain disappeared, and was replaced temporarily by two iron fountains. In 1888, the Barcelona City Hall resolved to permanently replace it, commissioning the project to Pere Falqués, who took on the task of designing four lamppost-fountain combinations in different parts of the city. Later on, the project was expanded to a total of fourteen fountains, and the Canaletas fountain was assigned to Jaume Rodelles in 1892.

Made of cast iron, the fountain features a circular base, and a round trunk, encircled by four basins each with its own faucet. An elegant lamppost comprised of four lanterns sits atop the structure.

Today, the fountain is celebrated for two main reasons:

Firstly, it’s the emblematic meeting spot for FC Barcelona fans, who gather here to celebrate team victories. The tradition dates back to the 1930s, when soccer aficionados would find out about games at the headquarters of the sports magazine La Rambla, based just opposite the fountain, where a chalkboard would display the match’s final score.

There’s also a famous legend that says that anyone who drinks from the fountain’s waters will return to Barcelona, providing plenty of inspiration for tourists to take a sip and hopefully come back some day.