Barcelona was the arrival point for the Popemobile on Sunday, when the custom vehicle for Pope Leo XIV landed at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport under a heavy security escort. According to ACN, it arrived at the airport’s corporate terminal at 12:30pm, carried by two cranes and covered with tarpaulins.
The vehicle was accompanied by National Police, Civil Guard and secret police vehicles. After leaving the airport, it was taken to an undisclosed location for safekeeping and preparation ahead of the Pope’s visit to Catalonia from 9 to 11 June.
The Popemobile is expected to be used during several parts of the visit. On 9 June, it will travel around the track of the Olympic Stadium in Montjuïc to greet attendees at the prayer vigil. The following day, it will pass through Montserrat. In the afternoon, it will complete a one-kilometre route through central Barcelona, between the Episcopal Palace and the Sagrada Família, coinciding with the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death.
The visit also includes stops at Brians prison and Sant Agustí parish. The itinerary places Barcelona at the centre of the trip, with the city hosting one of the main public moments of the papal programme.
More than 6,000 police officers from the Mossos d’Esquadra and Barcelona’s Guàrdia Urbana will be deployed over the three days of the visit, officials said. The operation will include specialist units for personal protection, crowd safety and traffic management, with the central coordination centre based at the Mossos’ headquarters in Egara.
Two giant screens will be installed at Glòries and Arc de Triomf. Access to major events will be limited to accredited people and local residents. For related coverage, see our news page.