Unlike the original on Liberty Island, the Barcelona copy is not outdoors but at the back of the equipment's main staircase, located on the Passeig de Sant Joan. This bronze sculpture was created by the sculptor Manuel Fuxà i Leal with the assistance of the Italian Odoardo Luis Razzauti.
One of the most notable differences from the monument gifted by France to the USA is the inscription on the tablet held by the figure. While the New York statue bears the date of American independence, the replica in the Catalan capital displays the Latin phrase “Alma Libertas”.
The library has become a research space specializing in Freemasonry, the workers' movement, anarchism, and the universe of Sherlock Holmes.
The Biblioteca Pública Arús was founded by Rossend Arús in 1895 with the goal of educating the people of Barcelona. Before his death, Arús appointed Valentí Almirall and Antoni Farners as trustees. The building, erected by Pere Bassegoda starting in 1875, also features a distinctive wrought iron and glass street lamp, considered a Small Landscape of the city.
