The Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer Gardens are public gardens located in the Gràcia neighborhood of Barcelona, Spain. They are named after Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer, a famous Catalan priest and writer. The gardens cover a large area and offer a variety of recreational activities and amenities, including walking paths, picnic areas, children’s play areas, and sports facilities. The gardens are also home to several species of plants and trees, and are considered an important green space in the city. They are a popular destination for local residents and visitors, and provide a peaceful escape from the city. The Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer Gardens are easily accessible by public transportation and are open to the public year-round.
La noia dels lliris (The Girl of the Lilies – 1970), which is near the lake, pays homage to Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer and bears an inscription with the following verses by the great poet: “Bonica és la rosa / més ho és el ram / més ho és el lliri / que floreix tot l’any” (Pretty is the rose / more so the bouquet / more so the lilly / which blossoms all year round). Sebastià Badia’s Maternitat (Maternity – 1970), is next to the gardeners’ shed, under a large maritime pine. It is a serene, sweet and very tender image of a woman looking at her son as she holds him in her lap.
The Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer Gardens are a place for spending time and taking a stroll. They are so peaceful that turtle doves are frequently seen walking on the grass.
Around the gardens there are paths and short sections of stone stairs covered in ivy, which has established itself between the steps. Visitors can use these for walking between the large expanses of grass that fill the gardens, discovering the collection of plants they contain as they go. The bright green grass contrasts with the colours of the flowers during spring and summer and with the ochre hues of the deciduous plants in autumn.
The main entrance on Av Miramar is monumental. Visitors there are greeted by a large Barcelona coat of arms made with bulbous plants and framed by large magnolias which, when they bloom at the end of spring, give the whole area a truly spectacular appearance.
Here you can view the large, gently rising green carpet formed by the garden meadows.
As with so many other green spaces in Barcelona, especially in the Montjuïc area, these gardens are located in an old quarry. They were officially opened on the same day as the Mossèn Costa i Llobera and Joan Maragall gardens: 22 June 1970, and are one of the three parks dedicated to Catalan poets.