Avinguda Diagonal (1931–1939)

Avinguda Diagonal, stretching over eleven kilometres, is one of Barcelona’s main thoroughfares and the longest avenue in the city.

Throughout its history, it has had several names. During the Second Spanish Republic, it was renamed “14th of April Avenue”, commemorating the proclamation of the Republic in 1931.

This name was short-lived (1931-1939), as after the Civil War the avenue was renamed Avenida del Generalísimo Franco, as part of the imposition of the Francoist regime, until 1979, when a revision of the city’s street naming system by the City Council —after forty years— restored its traditional name.

In the film 14 d’abril. Macià contra Companys, which recreates the proclamation of the Catalan Republic —an episode that lasted only three days—, one of the final scenes shows the removal of the street plaque, as seen in the image above.