Barcelona Recognizes Influential Women in New Street Naming Initiative
Barcelona, January 15 – The Barcelona Nomenclátor Commission, in its first of two annual ordinary sessions, has approved 25 new names for streets, squares, and gardens across the city. A significant portion of these new designations, fifteen in total, pay tribute to women who have made substantial contributions to culture, science, philosophy, arts, trades, neighborhood and social activism, as well as political and union spheres within Barcelona.
This latest round of naming brings the total number of women honored in Barcelona’s nomenclátor during this mandate to 51, actively working to reduce the historical disparity in the representation of women in public spaces. Of the 89 denominations approved since 2023, 58.3% are names of women.
Prominent Women to be Honored
Among the notable women whose names will now grace Barcelona’s public areas are:
- Colita, the renowned photographer.
- Philosophers Hannah Arendt and Simone Weil.
- Painter and photographer Dora Maar.
- Social and neighborhood activists Carme Vilà, Victoria Escrich, and Mercè Comaposada.
- Academics Carme Ribé and Aina Moll.
These new names will be distributed across six districts of the city.
Other Notable Personalities and Locations
In addition to the women, ten other spaces will be named after figures such as Father Manel, a priest known for his work with prison inmates, and Helios Gómez, a Romani activist and artist. The session also assigned definitive locations to previously approved names, including journalist Manuel Ibáñez i Escofet, trade unionist Cipriano Garcia, doctor Moisès Broggi, and writer Émile Zola.
Detailed Breakdown by District:
Horta-Guinardó
- The new space between Ronda del Guinardó and Carrer de Sant Quintí will become the Jardines de Moisès Broggi, honoring the head surgeon of the International Brigades and a pioneer of mobile operating rooms in Spain.
- In Sant Genís dels Agudells, the area between Carrer de Jericó and Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron will be named Jardines de Hannah Arendt, recognizing the German-American philosopher and political theorist.
Nou Barris
- In Roquetes, the gardens at the confluence of Via Favència and Carrer de les Torres will be named Jardines del Pare Manel.
- The roundabout of Manolo Vital will be renamed Rotonda de Manolo Vital i Carme Vilà, acknowledging a couple who were both active in neighborhood activism, with Carme Vilà notably working on literacy for older women in Torre Baró.
- In Trinitat Nova, between Carrer de Palamós and Carrer de S’Agaró, the street will be named Carrer de Victoria Escrich Vidal, a neighborhood activist involved in the demolition of the old women’s prison in Trinitat Vella.
Sant Martí
- In Besòs i el Maresme, the new square between Rambla de Prim and Carrer de Ferrer Bassa will be named Plaça de Simone Weil, in honor of the philosopher and activist.
- Also in Besòs i el Maresme, between Carrer de Veneçuela and Carrer de Pallars, will be Passatge de Mercè Comaposada, a prominent feminist activist.
- In Diagonal Mar i el Front Marítim del Poblenou, between Avinguda Diagonal and Carrer de la Selva de Mar, the new square will be Plaça de Carme Ribé Ferrer, a librarian and researcher.
- In Parc i la Llacuna del Poblenou, the new road between Carrer d’Àvila and Carrer d’Àlaba will be named Passatge d’Aina Moll Marquès, a linguist and philologist.
- El Poblenou dedicates the passage between Camí Antic de València and Carrer de Pallars to Rosa Mauri Segura, an internationally renowned Catalan dancer.
- In the same neighborhood, between Passeig de la Verneda and Carrer de Binèfar, will be Plaça de Regina Opisso Sala, a writer, journalist, and artist.
- Between Carrer de Pujades and Carrer de Pallars will be Plaça de Dolors Renau, a psychologist, pedagogue, politician, and feminist.
- The gardens located in the new space between Carrer de Provençals and Carrer de Fluvià, in Provençals del Poblenou, will be named after journalist Manuel Ibáñez Escofet.
- Between Carrer de Zamora and Carrer de Pallars will be the Jardines de Dora Maar, honoring the surrealist photographer and artist.
- A square, at the request of the Catalan Down Syndrome Foundation, will be dedicated to Montserrat Trueta i Llacuna, a Catalan pedagogue and social activist. This space is located between Carrer de Pallars and Carrer de Veneçuela, in Besòs i el Maresme.
Sants-Montjuïc
- In La Bordeta, between Carrer del Quetzal and Avinguda del Ferrocarril, will be the new Parc de Colita, dedicated to the photographer.
- The Plaça de Cipriano García Sanchez will also be in La Bordeta, next to Can Batlló, honoring the miner and trade unionist.
- In Marina de Port, applying the Democratic Memory Law, Carrer del Aviador Ruiz de Alda will be renamed Carrer de Mercedes Núñez Targa, a republican politician and anti-Franco activist.
- In Marina del Prat Vermell, between Carrer de Cal Cisó and Carrer de los Motors, will be the Plaça de Helios Gómez, the Romani artist and activist.
- In Marina de Port, the long-awaited Passatge d’Émile Zola will be located between Carrer del Port de Miami and Carrer del Port de Ningbo.
- Also in Marina de Port, next to the new Carrer de Mercedes Núñez Targa and Carrer del Mecànic Pablo Rada, will be the Jardines de la Trepitjada del Raïm, commemorating a local festival.
- The Plaça de Nativitat Yarza, honoring the republican politician and first female mayor in Catalonia, will be located between Carrer de Cal Cisó and Carrer del Acer in Marina del Prat Vermell.
- The passage of Marina del Prat Vermell, between Carrer de la Metal·lúrgia and Carrer del Estany, officially consolidates this popular denomination.
Ciutat Vella
- The space in Port Vell between Moll de Barcelona and Moll de les Drassanes will be named Jardines del Areté, referencing the concept of virtue in classical Greece.
Sarrià-Sant Gervasi
- The denomination of the Jardines de Can Ferrer, between Carrer d’Alfons XII and Carrer de Laforja, in Sant Gervasi-Galvany, is regularized.
This initiative underscores Barcelona’s commitment to recognizing the diverse contributions of its citizens and ensuring a more equitable representation in its public spaces.
Source: https://www.barcelona.cat/infobarcelona/es/una-quincena-de-mujeres-pondran-nombre-en-calles-y-plazas-de-barcelona_1591254.html
