Portal de l’Àngel, Casa Jorba, and Eugeni d’Ors in Barcelona.

The Portal de l’Àngel was originally one of the gates of Barcelona’s medieval wall, built in the 13th century, known as the Portal dels Orbs, meaning “Gate of the Blind.” The name refers to the presence of poor people in the area, including the blind and other marginalized groups, who lived around the city.

Even before the wall existed, this space was outside Roman Barcelona and crossed by a stream. Over time, it became one of the main routes leading to the town of Gràcia.

In the 15th century, the gate changed its name to Portal de l’Àngel after the supposed apparition of an angel to Saint Vincent Ferrer, who reportedly announced protection against an epidemic.

Today, it is one of the busiest pedestrian streets in Barcelona and one of the most expensive in Spain. It connects Plaça de Catalunya with Barcelona Cathedral and is one of the city’s main commercial hubs.

The building we see, Casa Jorba, was built in 1926 by architect Arnau Calvet Peyronill. With a monumental style influenced by French architecture and Art Deco elements, it was one of the first modern department stores in Barcelona and a pioneer in installing escalators.

After housing Galerías Preciados for decades and later El Corte Inglés, the building began a new stage in 2024 and, in 2026, is being transformed into a renovated commercial space with new international brands and offices.

At the end of the avenue, at the corner with Carrer Condal, there is a plaque dedicated to Eugeni d’Ors. Although it is located at number 2, he was born and lived at number 3 of Portal de l’Àngel, a building that no longer exists. Eugeni d’Ors i Rovira (1881–1954) was an influential Catalan essayist, philosopher, art critic, and politician, recognized for promoting Noucentisme, a cultural movement that aimed to modernize Catalan culture. His best-known work, Glosas, collects reflections on art, literature, and society, leaving a lasting legacy in education and cultural policy in Barcelona. The plaque not only commemorates his connection to Portal de l’Àngel but also the imprint his thinking left on the city and Mediterranean culture.

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