The Nomenclature Committee of Barcelona City Council has greenlit a wave of changes affecting ten city districts. Virrei Amat Square, which also lends its name to the adjacent metro station, will be renamed Joan Salvat-Papasseit. This modification responds to a request from the Nou Barris district, supported by a citizen initiative, aiming to erase the reference imposed during the Franco dictatorship in 1941.
This nomenclature update, which includes 12 spaces dedicated to women to address historical gender imbalance, is part of the accelerated efforts by Jaume Collboni's administration, which has approved 119 new names in three years. Of these, 63 are for women, 34 for men, and 20 are place names or other designations.
Among the most notable tributes are those to playwright Josep Maria Benet i Jornet, who will lend his name to gardens in Sant Martí; architect Joan Antoni Solans, who will have a square in La Marina and a plaque in the Espanya Industrial park; as well as sculptors Josep Maria Subirachs and Manolo Hugué, novelist Anna Maria Moix, writer Teresa Pàmies, and painter Joan Josep Tharrats.
The decision also includes dedicating a square to the comic book character Capitán Trueno in Vallcarca, a proposal that has generated controversy among some residents who would prefer a comic interpretation center. Additionally, the Luis Eduardo Aute gardens will be located between Esteve Terradas street and Vallcarca avenue.
The Marina de Port neighborhood will be one of the most beneficiaries with six new names, such as Teresa Pàmies and Anna Maria Moix, in addition to other spaces near the Morrot port area.
The memory of personalities will also be honored with plaques, such as that of meteorologist Eduard Fontserè, former mayor of Santa Coloma de Gramenet Lluís Hernàndez, and musician Jordi Fàbregas. A lectern in the Parc de la Ciutadella will commemorate the birth of mass political parties.
