A village of Spanish architecture on Montjuïc
Poble Espanyol was built for the 1929 Barcelona Universal Exposition and opened on 20 May 1929. Its creators visited more than 1,600 villages before they designed a site that reproduces typical buildings of traditional Spanish architecture. Today it stands on Montjuïc, with views over Barcelona, and its inner area is closed to car traffic.
For weddings the website offers five spaces. The Monastery of Sant Miquel, designed in a Romanesque style by the modernist architect Puig i Cadafalch, stands at one end of the site, with a garden, a cloister, a banquet room and its own entrance. It has a blessed chapel for religious ceremonies, and the site says there are other options for civil or symbolic ceremonies. The Valderrobres Town Hall, in the Main Square, has a Noble Room that copies the one in the Palau de la Generalitat Valenciana and suits medium celebrations of about 150 people. The Main Square, a replica of the square of Riaza (Segovia), takes large banquets and can be covered. The Baluard and Sculpture Garden shows works by 27 artists and has views of the city, and the marquee is a large open banquet hall.
The site does not work with one exclusive supplier, so you can choose your own. Cleaning, security, coordination and reception are included with the rental. It suits couples who want the ceremony and the party in one place, in the city, with easy access for guests.
For your photos
The monastery is the obvious place for a ceremony, with the chapel, the cloister and a garden. Its separate entrance gives privacy. Poble Espanyol is also a visitor attraction that opens every day, so ask how privacy is organised during your event. The end of the site where the monastery stands has views of Barcelona: plan portraits there late in the afternoon.
The Noble Room of the Town Hall has large chandeliers and a wooden ceiling, a formal backdrop for dinner and the first dance. The Main Square and the Baluard are open air, so weather matters: the square can be covered, and the Town Hall, the monastery banquet room and the marquee are covered options. Set aside 30 to 45 minutes for portraits.
Good to know
- Location: Av. de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia 13, Montjuïc, Barcelona.
- Getting there: metro L1 or L3 to Espanya or train to Plaça Espanya (15 minutes on foot), buses 13, 23 and 150. A paid, supervised car park is behind the site.
- Spaces: Monastery of Sant Miquel (with chapel and cloister), Valderrobres Town Hall, Main Square, Baluard and Sculpture Garden, marquee and picnic area.
- Included with the rental: cleaning, security, coordination and reception. Audio-visual equipment, Wi-Fi and lighting can be provided.
- Capacity depends on the space. Ask the venue for its spaces catalogue.
- Website: poble-espanyol.com.
