The Meteorological Column in the Ciutadella Park was designed by municipal engineer Josep Fontserè and built in 1884 by merchant navy captain Josep Ricart i Giralt, for the 1888 Universal Exposition. Located next to the Umbracle, it had an educational purpose: to introduce visitors to the basics of meteorology through its instruments and explanatory panels. The masonry structure, clad in marble, featured a spherical sundial, a weather vane with the coat of arms of Barcelona, and four sides oriented to the cardinal points. Each side displayed data on temperature, pressure, and humidity, along with instruments such as a barometer, thermometer, and hygrometer. It also included time tables comparing Barcelona with major European cities. A symbol of scientific outreach, this unique work, now heavily deteriorated, remains a valuable testimony to Barcelona’s scientific and educational heritage at the end of the 19th century.
Activity added by the Oxploria team
