Editing Montjuïc

{{short description|Hill in Barcelona, Spain}}
{{otheruses}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2016}}

{{Infobox hill
|coordinates={{coord|41|21|51|N|2|09|39|E|region:ES_type:mountain_scale:10000|display=inline,title}}
|photo=Fale_-_Spain_-_Barcelona_-_8.jpg
|map=Catalonia
|map_caption=Location in [[Barcelona]]
| mapframe = yes
}}
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<!--[[File:15-10-27-Vista des de l'estàtua de Colom a Barcelona-WMA 2794.jpg|thumb|upright|Montjuïc]]-->

'''Montjuïc''' ({{IPA|ca|moɲʒuˈik}}) is a hill in [[Barcelona]], [[Catalonia]], [[Spain]].

Montjuïc or Montjuich, meaning "Jewish Mountain" in medieval Latin and Catalan, is a broad, shallow hill in Barcelona with a rich history. It was the birthplace of the city, and its strategic location, between the Mediterranean and the Llobregat River, has made it significant throughout history. The hill has a medieval Jewish cemetery, declared an area of Cultural Asset of National Interest in 2007. Montjuïc has been the site of various fortifications, including the Castle of Montjuïc dating back to the 17th century. The area was also associated with political imprisonments and executions, and held significance during the Spanish Civil War.

The hill was chosen as the site for the [[1929 Barcelona International Exposition|1929 International Exposition]], which led to the construction of several buildings, including the {{Lang|ca|Palau Nacional}} and the Estadi Olímpic. Montjuïc was also the location for several venues during the 1992 Summer Olympics, with the Olympic stadium as the centerpiece. The hill is now home to the {{Lang|ca|[[Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya]]|italic=no}} and various [[Parks and gardens of Barcelona|parks and gardens]], and can be accessed via the Funicular de Montjuïc and the Montjuïc Cable Car.

==Etymology==
Montjuïc translates to "[[Jewish]] Mountain" from medieval Latin and [[Catalan language|Catalan]], and remains of a medieval Jewish cemetery have been found there.<ref name=gec>{{cite web|url=http://enciclopedia.cat/EC-GEC-0043902.xml|title=Montjuïc|publisher=[[Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana]]|access-date=2017-04-28}}</ref><ref name="Jewish_Cemetery">{{cite web|url=http://www.urbancultours.com/MONTJUIC/docs/Breve%20historia%20del%20cementerio%20ENG.pdf|title=Middle ages Jewish cemetery in Barcelona on Montjuïc |publisher= Centre d’Estudis ZAKHOR|date=2011 |access-date=October 27, 2019}}</ref> Some sources suggest that Montjuïc is related to the [[Latin]] phrase ''Mons Jovicus'' ('hill of [[Jupiter (god)|Jove]]').<ref name=gec/> The city of [[Girona]] has a hill or mountain named [[Montjuïc (Girona)|Montjuïc]] just to the north of its old quarter with a similar history; its name is derived from the medieval Jewish cemetery that was there.<ref name="Alberch">{{cite book | title=Jewry Guide of Girona|author=Ramon Alberch i Fugueras|publisher=Certeza and the City Council of Girona|location=Girona, Spain|year=2005|pages=131|isbn=978-8472131859}}</ref>

==History==
{{Unsourced|section|date=August 2022}}
Montjuïc, because of its strategic location on the Mediterranean, and alongside an important river communication channel, the [[Llobregat River]], was the birthplace of the city of Barcelona. Archaeological discoveries have added greatly to the history of Barcelona. During the  Iberian period, and especially during the Roman period Montjuïc became the main quarry of Barcelona, drastically changing the shape of the mountain.

On March 15, 2007, the General Directorate of Heritage of the Generalitat of Catalonia, in accordance with the Catalan Cultural Heritage Law (Law 9/1993, of September 30), declared Montjuic an area of Cultural Asset of National Interest (BCIN), due to the existence of the medieval Jewish cemetery in Barcelona, considered the largest in Europe of its time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Comunidad autónoma de cataluña |url=https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2007/05/11/pdfs/A20583-20583.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=RESUMENDE ACTIVIDADES COMISIÓN DE PATRIMONIO DE LAS COMUNIDADES JUDÍAS DE CATALUNYA |url=http://atid.es/files/MEMORIABREVE.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219051314/http://atid.es/files/MEMORIABREVE.pdf |archive-date=2009-02-19 }}</ref>

==Description==
{{Moresources|section|date=August 2022}}
[[File:Spain.Catalonia.Barcelona.Vista.Panoramica.Montjuic.2023.jpg|600px|thumb|center|Picture of Montjuïc taken from the Finestrelles scenic viewpoint.]]

Barcelona's Montjuïc is a broad shallow [[hill]] with a relatively flat top overlooking the [[harbour]], to the southwest of the city centre.  The eastern side of the hill is almost a sheer cliff, giving it a commanding view over the city's harbour immediately below.  The top of the hill (a height of 184.8 m) was the site of several [[fortification]]s, the latest of which (the [[Montjuïc Castle (Barcelona)|Castle of Montjuïc]]) remains today.  The fortress largely dates from the 17th century, with 18th-century additions.

In 1842, the garrison (loyal to the [[Madrid]] government) shelled parts of the city.  It served as a prison, often holding political prisoners, until the time of [[Francisco Franco|General Franco]]. The castle was also the site of numerous executions. In 1897, an incident popularly known as the [[Montjuïc trial]] prompted the execution of [[anarchist]] supporters and led to a severe repression of the struggle for workers' rights.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} During this era, "Montjuïc" was synonymous with barbarism based on the torture of anarchists and others imprisoned there.<ref name="Tone2006">{{cite book|last=Tone|first=John Lawrence|title=War and Genocide in Cuba, 1895-1898|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1wv5KHk2_dsC&pg=PA230|year=2006|publisher=University of North Carolina Press|isbn=978-0-8078-3006-2|page=230}}</ref>

On different occasions during the [[Spanish Civil War]], both Nationalists and Republicans were executed there, each at the time when the site was held by their opponents. The former president of the [[Generalitat de Catalunya]] [[Lluís Companys]] was also executed there in 1940, having been extradited to the Franco government by the [[Nazis]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}

==Developments==
{{Moresources|section|date=August 2022}}
[[File:BarcelonaExpositionPanorama.1929.ws.jpg|thumb|300px|Panorama of the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition]]
[[File:050529 Barcelona 135.jpg|thumb|300px|The {{Lang|ca|[[Palau Nacional]]}}]]
{{wide image|Montjuic_palau_national.jpg|300px
| The view over Barcelona from outside the {{Lang|ca|Palau Nacional}} on Montjuïc.|45%|right|alt=The view over Barcelona from outside the {{Lang|ca|Palau Nacional}} on Montjuïc.}}
[[File:Font Màgica del Montjuïc.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Magic Fountain of Montjuïc]]]]

[[File:View from Montjuic.jpg|thumb|alt=View from Montjuic by oldypak lp|View from Montjuic]]
Naturally wooded, the slopes of the Montjuïc were traditionally used to grow food and graze animals by the people of the neighbouring [[Ciutat Vella]]. In the 1890s, the forests were partially cleared, opening space for parklands.  The site was selected to host the [[1929 Barcelona International Exposition|1929 International Exposition]] (a [[World's Fair]]), for which the first large-scale construction on the hill began.  The surviving buildings from this effort include the grand {{Lang|ca|[[Palau Nacional]]}}, the Estadi Olímpic (the Olympic stadium), the ornate [[Magic Fountain of Montjuïc]] (Font Màgica),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/107604722/worlds-most-famous-fountains |title=World's most famous fountains |first=Brian |last=Johnston |date=Oct 5, 2018 |access-date=June 29, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fountains.com/blog/most-magnificent-world-outdoor-fountains/ |title=Top 10 Most Magnificent Outdoor Fountains in the World |date=January 6, 2015 |access-date=June 29, 2019}}</ref> and a grand staircase leading up from the foot of Montjuïc at the south end of the [[Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina]], past the Font Màgica and through the Plaça del Marquès de Foronda and the Plaça de les Cascades to the {{Lang|ca|Palau Nacional}}. 

The Poble Espanyol, a "Spanish village" of different buildings built in different styles of Spanish [[architecture]], also survives, located on the western side of the hill. [[Ludwig Mies van der Rohe|Mies van der Rohe]]'s [[Barcelona Pavilion|German national pavilion]] was constructed at the foot of the hill, near the Plaça del Marquès de Foronda. It was demolished in 1930 but was rebuilt in 1988.

Also completed in 1929, the [[Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys|Olympic stadium]] was intended to host an [[anti-fascism|anti-fascist]] alternative Olympics in 1936, in opposition to the [[1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Berlin Olympics]]. These plans were cancelled due to the outbreak of the [[Spanish Civil War]]. The stadium served as the home for [[football (soccer)|football]] team [[RCD Espanyol|Espanyol]], until the club left for a new stadium in [[Cornellà]]/[[El Prat de Llobregat|El Prat]] upon its completion in 2008.

The roads in the slopes facing the city were once the [[Montjuïc circuit]] [[List of Formula One circuits|Formula One race track]], hosting the [[Spanish Grand Prix]] on four occasions.  However, a terrible [[accident]] in the [[1975 Spanish Grand Prix|1975 race]] saw [[Rolf Stommelen]]'s car crash into the stands, killing four people; as a result the Spanish Grand Prix never returned to Montjuïc circuit.

Montjuïc was selected as the site for several of the venues of the [[1992 Summer Olympics]], centred on the Olympic stadium.  Extensively refurbished and renamed the [[Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys]], the 65,000-seat stadium saw the opening and closing ceremonies and hosted the athletic events. Around it  the ''[[Anella Olímpica]]'' (the "Olympic Ring") of sporting venues was built, including the [[Palau Sant Jordi]] indoor arena, the ''Institut Nacional d'Educació Física de Catalunya state'', a centre of [[sports science]]; the ''[[Piscines Bernat Picornell]]'' and the ''[[Piscina Municipal de Montjuïc]]'', the venues for [[swimming (sport)|swimming]] and [[Diving (sport)|diving]] events respectively; and the striking [[Montjuïc Communications Tower|telecommunications tower]], designed by the architect [[Santiago Calatrava]].  Of the ''Piscines'' (swimming pools), the [[Diving (sport)|diving]] pool was selected as the setting for the "[[Slow (Kylie Minogue song)|Slow]]" [[music video]] recorded in 2003 by Australian singer [[Kylie Minogue]].

The ornate {{Lang|ca|Palau Nacional}} houses the {{Lang|ca|[[Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya]]|italic=no}}, an extensive showcase of Catalan painting and sculpture.

The top of the hill can be reached using the [[Funicular de Montjuïc]], a [[funicular|funicular railway]] that operates as part of the [[Barcelona Metro]], and then the [[Montjuïc Cable Car]], a [[gondola lift]]. On the eastern slope is the ''Miramar'' terminal of the [[Port Vell Aerial Tramway]] connecting Montjuïc with [[Barceloneta, Barcelona|Barceloneta]] on the other side of [[Port Vell]]. Part of the slopes are covered with a well attended [[Parks and gardens of Barcelona|park and gardens]].  The hill is often used for amateur [[cycling]].

==Prototype metre==
[[File:Castell de Montjuic - Fossat entrada - Barcelona (Catalonia).jpg|thumb|The [[Fortress Montjuïc|fortress at Montjuïc]] that was the most southerly point from which measurements were made when constructing the prototype metre]]
{{main|History of the metre}}
In June 1792 the French astronomers [[Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre]] and [[Pierre Méchain|Pierre François André Méchain]] set out to measure the [[meridian arc]] distance from [[Dunkirk]] to Barcelona, two cities lying on approximately the same [[longitude]] as each other and also the longitude through [[Paris]]. The fortress on Montjuïc was chosen as the reference point in Barcelona. After protracted negotiations (France and Spain were technically at war) Méchain made his measurements from the [[Fortress Montjuïc|fortress]] on 16 March 1794.

Using this measurement and the [[latitude]]s of the two cities they could calculate the distance between the [[North Pole]] and the [[Equator]] in classical French units of length and hence produce the first prototype [[metre]] which was defined as being one ten millionth of that distance.<ref>{{cite book
|last1 = Adler | first1 = Ken
|title = The measure of all things – The seven year odyssey that transformed the world
|year = 2002
|publisher = Abacus
|isbn = 0-349-11507-9}}</ref> The definitive metre bar, manufactured from platinum, was presented to the French legislative assembly on 22 June 1799.

==Also on Montjuïc==
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[File:Montjuic Communications Tower.jpg|220px|thumb|right|Calatrava's [[Montjuïc Communications Tower|Olympic telecommunications tower]]|{{Deletable image-caption|1=Sunday, 14 June 2009|date=May 2012}}]] -->
* [[Fundació Joan Miró]], a [[modern art]] museum centring on a large collection of the works of [[Joan Miró]]
* [[Montjuïc Cemetery]] (Cementiri del Sud-Oest), a cemetery containing many influential people, including [[Lluís Companys]], and his predecessor as [[List of Presidents of Catalonia|President of Catalonia]] [[Francesc Macià]], as well as artists such as the painter [[Joan Miró]], the dancer [[Carmen Amaya]] and the poet and priest [[Jacint Verdaguer]]. Numerous unmarked graves hold those executed in the fortress
[[File:Mossen Costa i Llobera Gardens - December 2024.jpg|thumb|[[Mossèn Costa i Llobera Gardens]] in Montjuïc]]
* The [[Jardí Botànic de Barcelona | botanical garden]]s of Barcelona
* The [[Mossèn Costa i Llobera Gardens]]
* The museum of [[ethnology]]
* The Catalan museum of archaeology (housed in the 1929 exhibition's palace of graphic arts)
* The [[Olympic and Sports Museum Joan Antoni Samaranch]]

==Musical tributes==
In 1936, the British composers [[Lennox Berkeley]] and [[Benjamin Britten]] visited a folk dance festival on the mountain while attending a music festival in Barcelona. They took down the melodies and the following year they jointly wrote a suite of four Catalan dances for orchestra, which they named ''[[Mont Juic (suite)|Mont Juic]]''.

A track called "Montjuic" was released on the 2021 album ''Polydans'' by German musician [[Roosevelt (musician)|Roosevelt]].

== See also ==
* [[Parks and gardens of Barcelona]]
* [[Public art in Barcelona]]
* [[History of Barcelona]]
* [[The Four Columns]]
* [[Siege of Barcelona (1713–1714)]]
* [[Urban planning of Barcelona]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://iberianature.com/lucyblog/category/montjuic/ Nature diary in English on Montjuic]

{{Barcelona}}
{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:Neighbourhoods of Barcelona]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Barcelona]]
[[Category:Sants-Montjuïc]]
[[Category:Execution sites in Spain]]
[[Category:Montjuïc| ]]