1929 International Exhibition

The 705-ft slope of Montjuïc plays the dual role of Barcelona’s grandstand and showcase. Barcelona lost its count-kings before the era of great royal gardens and hunting preserves, the source of the great parks in many other European capitals. But in compensation there were the wooded groves of Montjuïc, and for centuries they provided a convenient place for citizens to stretch their legs.

In 1907, Barcelona decided it was time to show what it had accomplished since its last outing on the world stage in 1888, and to celebrate the Fairy Electricity in a exhibition scheduled for 1914. The northern slopes of Montjuïc were landscaped by Jean-Claude Forestier and local architect Nicolas Rubió i Tuduri, who would later add a dozen new green spaces to the city.

Violence and political instability (notably the Setmana Tràgica) pushed back the opening date. Undeterred, the organizers decided to add Spanish arts and crafts to the electricity theme, with an overall design by the Modernista Puig i Cadafalch. If the 1888 Universal Exhibition heralded the first buds of Modernisme, Puig dreamed of showcasing Catalonia's style in its maturity. The opening was set for 1917—and that was scotched by the First World War.