Maria Cristina

The regent queen

This station abuts on a Barcelona’s square that is dedicated to Maria Cristina of Austria, the daughter of the Archduke Karl Ferdinand and Elisabeth Franziska of Austria. Maria Christina of Austria, the wife of Alfonso the Twelfth, was Queen of Spain from 1879 to 1885, and when her husband died she became regent until her son Alfonso the Thirteenth came of age. The Barcelona world’s fair of 1888, which extended from Arc de Triomf till the Barceloneta area, was inaugurated during her regency.

Curiosities:
Just in Maria Christina square, there is a curious clock 10 metres in diameter on the ground. On a sunny day, you can stand on the corresponding month so that your shadow will be the hand to mark the exact time.
Going up Pedralbes Avenue, you will come upon a very special door at number 15. This is the door that Antoni Gaudí designed for this Güell family’s property, known as the Güell Pavilions. On the door there is the representation of some elements of Hercules’s legend, that is, the dragon which Hercules defeated and the oranges that were stolen.

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The neighbours recommend

Restaurant ORNINA
avinguda Diagonal, 593
Phone 933 216 432
www.ornina.es
Restaurant, music hall and club with a creative fusion cuisine inspired on the Mediterranean and the East.

Hindú restaurant SHANTI
carrer Augustina Saragossa, 3-5 (frente a l’Illa)
Phone 932 523 115
www.shanti.es
Shanti is a Sanskrit word that means Peace, what you perceive when you enter to this restaurant managed by an Indian family, where plenty of delicious and typically Indian recipes are prepared.

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Places of Interest

TORRE RODONA
carrer del doctor Salvador Cardenal, 5-7
This farm gets its name from the round defensive tower that stand inside, it is one of the few remains of rural medieval architecture in Les Corts district.

MUHBA (PEDRALBES MONASTERY AND MUSEUM)
carrer de la Baixada del Monestir, 9
Phone 932 563 434
Queen Elisenda de Montcada founded this monastery in 1326 and since then it is the residence of the Poor Clare nuns. This building is an extraordinary example of the Catalan Gothic style and it includes many works of art, liturgical objects and furniture that the community has preserved. Today it is possible to visit it, don’t miss the cloister with the Renaissance well or the chapterhouse of the 15th century!

THE CATALAN PHARMACY MUSEUM
avinguda de Joan XXIII, s/nº, edifici A, 6ª planta.
Phone 934 024 555
www.ub.edu/museufar/museu.htm
You can find this museum inside the Pharmacy Faculty. It accommodates a collection of more than 2000 objects, such as herbariums, instruments, medicines…

ROCA BARCELONA GALLERY
carrer de Joan Güell, 211-213
Phone 933 661 212
www.rocabarcelonagallery.com
An outstanding and avant-garde space created by OAB Architects, it houses social, cultural activities and exhibitions linked to water and bathrooms. An innovative way to represent the famous brand through sensory experiences.

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Services

CENTRE CULTURAL LES CORTS
carrer de Dolors Masferrer, 33
Phone 932 916 462
This cultural centre organizes a summer festival and it has an Auditorium where you can enjoy dance or jazz shows. On Sunday theatre activities are organized especially for the little ones.

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