Barcelona is the capital of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia in Spain, on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. The city is between the mouths of the Llobregat and Besos rivers. The incredible natural landscape of Barcelona is only enhanced by the Serra de Collserola mountain ridge on its western side. It is the second most populated area in Spain and has 4.5 kilometers, or almost 3 miles of beaches.



Barcelona's 2000 year history has included influences from many cultures, and there are many places to see the representative Gothic and Moorish representatives. The architecture in Barcelona has been particularly influenced by its native son, Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi is responsible for much of the brilliant and eclectic tile work seen throughout the city and in many of Barcelona's most impressive buildings. Though Gaudi died many years ago, there is a project he began that is still going strong today, the unfinished church the Sagrada Familia.

There are many arches with triumphant themes welcoming tourists into many cities all over the world. The Arc de Triomf located in Barcelona, Spain, was created for the Universal Exposition in 1888 at the Parc de la Ciutadella. The arch was erected to stand as the entrance to the park for the event and has been a well-loved monument for the last 120 years.

The Arc de Triomf was created in the mundejar style by architect Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas in a nod to the country's Moorish foundations. The arch has a frieze on its front side that was created by Josep Reynes. It is a depiction of the city of Barcelona greeting visitors, with the words "Barcelona rep les nacions" which translated from Catalan to English reads, "Barcelona welcomes the nations." The back has a portrayal of an awards ceremony named "Recompense" created by Josep Llimona.

Each of the other provinces in the country of Spain is depicted on either side of the crown of the arch. The top of the arch has the coat of arms of Barcelona carved in to the stone. Two lions are depicted on either side of the shield. Twelve statues of females representing different facets of the city of Barcelona also adorn the arch. This is a deviation in the Moorish theme, in that Islamic artistic styles do not include representations of animals or people. The Moorish style is evident in the four caps reminiscent of minarets on the top of a mosque.

The Arc de Triomf has its own metro stop listed as Arc de Triomf, and is located in between the Passeig Llujis Companys, and the Passeig de Sant Joan