Jardins de la Font dels Ocellets

Jiménez i Iglesias, 6

These long, narrow gardens form a pleasant link between Av Diagonal, Plaça de Pius XII and Av Pedralbes.

History

The Font dels Ocellets was a leisure spot and meeting place for the city’s residents as they collected water from the fountain that was fed by an old mine believed to have been in C/ Marquès de Mulhacén. Today’s Plaça de Pius XII was then occupied by a farm with a chapel named after an image of Christ (known as the Crist de l’Estela) that is venerated there. The chapel received a considerable number of visitors as, coming back from the fountain to the city, they could cut out a good part of the way by crossing the Estela farm. The owners allowed visitors right of way, provided they headed for the chapel.
One of the reasons why the 1952 Eucharistic Congress held in Barcelona chose Plaça de Pius XII for its monumental altar was that it had been original site of the chapel dedicated to the Crist de l’Estela. The farm, chapel, image, mine and fountain have all since vanished, swallowed up by the dynamics of urban growth. Today the only record of the fountain and recollection of the water we have is the name of the gardens.

Biodiversity

The gardens have a paved lane skirted by plane trees (Platanus hispanica) and a path that runs parallel to the paved areas, with irregular parterres full of cypresses (Cupressus sempervirens) and palm trees that include the city’s more common species: Canary Island date palms and ordinary date palms (Phoenix canariensis and Phoenix dactilífera) as well as fan palms (robusta and filifera).
There are some large eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) and pine (Pinus pinea) trees at the top of the garden. As for flowering trees, there are quite a few specimens of illawarra flame trees (Brachychiton acerifolius). Popularly known as a kurrajong, these have large bell-shaped flowers. The other flowering tree visitors will find as they cross the gardens is the love tree or Judas tree (Cercis siliquastrum). There are also a whole series of Mediterranean shrubs surrounding the trees in the parterres as well as roses of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) and photinias (Photinia serrulata) around the area designated for dogs.

  • Titularity
    Public center
Address:
Jiménez i Iglesias, 6
Districte:
Les Corts
Neighborhood:
Pedralbes
City:
Barcelona