The Magic Fountain was one of the last projects on the site of the 1929 Universal Exhibition, which included the cascades and smaller fountains which fill Avinguda de Maria Cristina.
The centrepiece, however, is the monumental fountain built on a platform at the end of the avenue, for which it acts as a backdrop, along with the stairs. It lies halfway between the Palau Nacional and the Plaça d'Espanya fountain, where there used to be a large esplanade where the four giant columns designed by Puig i Cadafalch were erected in 1919, symbolising the four stripes of the Senyera, the Catalan national flag, and which were pulled down in 1928 during the Primo de Rivera dictatorship. New columns were put up in 2010, just a few metres away from the original site.
Further renovation work was carried out and music was incorporated into the visual show. In the 1990s the fountain underwent a complete overhaul and all its machinery and equipment - until then very rudimentary - were modernised.
The city has a large number of ornamental and drinking fountains, adding charm to the streets and squares.
For more information: www.bcn.cat