The wide, spacious Luis Companys avenue pleasantly contrasts with the narrow streets of the adjacent neighborhoods. This alley was named in honor of one of the presidents of the province of Catalonia, executed in 1940 in the Montjuic fortress.
The pedestrian street runs past the picturesque Citadel Park, on whose grounds are the Barcelona Zoo, several museums, and even the building of the Catalan Parliament. Luis Companys Alley begins at the Triumphal Arch, built in the Moorish style as the ceremonial entrance to the 1888 World's Fair.
In 1883, the Barcelona city council decided to decorate the avenue with eight sculptures of people who had made a significant contribution to the history of Catalonia. Originally they were: Wilfred the Hairy, Roger of Lauria, Bernat Desclot, Rafael Casanova, Ramon Berenguer I, Pere Albert, Antonio Viladomat, and Jaume Fabra. Their statues were installed in 1888, but only three of them have survived to this day.
In 1998, a monument to Luis Companys himself appeared on the boulevard, with the inscription on the pedestal: "Catalonia and freedom are one and the same: where freedom lives, there is my homeland."
