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Universitat de Barcelona
  
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Historic information
2005 marked the 555th anniversary of the founding of Barcelona University by royal decree from King Alfonso the Magnanimous on 3rd November 1450. All the Catalan universities were forced to move to Cervera following the military defeat in 1714, but in 1842 the university returned to Barcelona as a result of public pressure. The current building on Gran Via was built between 1863 and 1873 as the central campus of Barcelona University. Designed by the architect Elies Rogent, it draws inspiration from Romanesque, Mudejar and Catalan “renaixentista” styles. The building occupies two blocks in the Eixample district. The staircase of honour and the main auditorium are located in the central section of the building. The rich ornamentation inside the building is enhanced by the simplicity of the outer walls with their large “renaixentista-style” windows. On both sides of the central section are 2, two-tier courtyards which look like convent cloisters, surrounded by arcades underpinned by columns. Classes at the new Barcelona University commenced in 1871.
In order to know the zone better
The square formed by the Plaça Universitat, the Carrer Pelai, the Plaça Catalunya and the Gran Via, comprises one of the city’s most interesting retail areas. The Plaça Universitat borders the old town, Ciutat Vella, and the Eixample district on the boundary of the 19th-century city walls. The Carrer Pelai, one of the city’s main shopping streets leads to the Plaça Catalunya, which is considered the centre of the city, although it isn’t the geographical centre. It was laid out for the 1929 International Exhibition and is decorated by six sculptural groups, representing each major Catalan city, and wisdom and work, and 22 figures by artists such as Llimona, Clarà and Marès. It is also the site of the sculpture commemorating the president of the Catalan government, Francesc Macià, by the sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs. The plaza is the starting point for elegant boulevards like the Passeig de Gràcia and Rambla Catalunya, (on the north side) and La Rambla (on the south).
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Scene description
L'auberge espagnole
  
Universitat de Barcelona: A series of shots show Xavier (Romain Duris) and his other classmates chatting as they lean against the columns in the quadrangle of the historic Barcelona University building in the Plaça Universitat. Other shots in the sequence were filmed inside a classroom in the same building. This is the sequence where Isabelle (Cécile de France) makes her first appearance.
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Did you know that...
Since the 1930s, when Alfred Hitchcock began making short cameos in his films, many directors have done the same. Cédric Klapisch didn’t want to miss the opportunity and makes a brief appearance in the film. During the sequence shot in Barcelona University, the lecturer who approaches the group of students and asks them if they are the French group is the director. If you see the film in its original language version, you can hear Klapisch speaking in Spanish and then in Catalan.
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The Barcelona of Erasmus Students
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Universitat de Barcelona
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Barcelona Movie Walks '25 |  |