A monument to industrialist Joan Güell i Ferrer in Barcelona

Joan Güell i Ferrer (Torredembarra, 1800 - Barcelona, 1872) was a prominent Catalan industrialist. Born in Torredembarra, he moved to Barcelona and founded the Vapor Vell de Sants. As a champion of the protectionist movement, he founded numerous associations to support local industry, including the Junta de Fàbriques de Catalunya, the Institut Industrial de Catalunya, and the Foment de la Producció Nacional. He also held several public offices, serving as regidor, diputat, and senador. He was succeeded by his son Eusebi Güell i Bacigalupi, who went on to become a patron of Antoni Gaudí.

In 1878, six years after his death, an initiative was launched to erect a monument in his honor in the city of Barcelona. The monument, designed by architect Joan Martorell and sculptors Rossend Nobas, Torquat Tasso, Eduard B. Alentorn, Maximí Sala, and Francesc Pagès i Serratosa, was created in 1888. It was inaugurated in the context of the Universal Exposition. The alcalde Francesc de Paula Rius i Taulet and the president, Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, attended the inauguration.

The monument was originally placed at the crossroads of the Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes and the Rambla de Catalunya, with Güell's figure looking towards the sea. However, the statue was demolished in 1936. The pedestal was dedicated to the victims of 19 de juliol, but it was also destroyed shortly afterwards.

The monument was rebuilt between 1941 and 1945 by the architect Joaquim Vilaseca and the sculptor Frederic Marès. The statue of Güell was recreated based on photos of the original, while the base of the monument was completely remodeled into a prismatic base 5 meters tall. The base features a medallion with the coat of arms of Barcelona supported by angelots, and reliefs on the other three sides representing Commerce, Industry, and Navegació in an art-deco style.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons