Barcelona has placed a commemorative plaque on Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, marking the exact spot where architect Antoni Gaudí was fatally hit by a tram on 7 June 1926. The ceremony took place on 7 June 2026 and was led by Deputy Mayor and Eixample Councillor Jordi Valls.
The tribute was presented as a recognition of Gaudí’s human and urban context, not only his architectural work. Joaquim Borràs, Director General of Heritage for the Generalitat, and Galdric Santana, Commissioner for Gaudí Year, also took part in the event.
The plaque is part of Gaudí Year, the centenary programme marking 100 years since his death. The initiative aims to highlight the contrast between Gaudí’s anonymous death after the accident and the worldwide recognition his work later received.
Valls said the unveiling acts as a form of reparation for the architect’s human figure. The Eixample District promoted the tribute with the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Gaudí Council.
The timing also carries added significance in Barcelona, coming three days before the planned inauguration of the Sagrada Família’s Jesus Christ tower on 10 June, another centenary-related moment linked to Gaudí’s legacy.
Born in 1852, Antoni Gaudí i Cornet is regarded as one of the most important figures in world architecture and the leading exponent of Catalan Modernism. His work is closely tied to Barcelona, especially the Eixample district, where the Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló and Casa Milà remain among his best-known buildings.