The four columns

By Laia Esquerrà

The four columns situated in Montjuïc symbolize the four stripes of the Catalan "senyera". The four columns have Ionic capitals and were designed by the architect Puig i Cadafalch. They should have become a symbol of Catalanism but were demolished in 1929 during Primo de Rivera's dictatorship because they could not stay there for the "Exposició Universal". The Magic Fountain of Montjuic was constructed on the site instead.

The four columns were one of the first elements to be erected during the urbanization of the mountain. They were 20 metres tall and 2'5 metres wide. They were built with plaster bricks and and had to have four figures on their top representing the victory but they never let Puig i Cadafalch finish them.

The dictatorships of Primo de Rivera and Franco were very cruel with Catalonia; the latter even took away Puig i Cadafalch’s architectural qualification and prevented him from constructing anything else.

In 2001 there was a proposal to reconstruct them but this was rejected. In 2008, however, there was another project and this proved successful. The project was presented to the media in 2009 and in 2010 the columns were finally reconstructed. The work should have been finished in time for 11th September or "La Mercè" but it ran over schedule. Now they have finally been finished, though this time each column measures 18'7 metres and is made of artificial rock. They have also been situated further back than they originally were, between the Magic Fountain and the Castle.