The clock tower

The Light Trail wouldn't be complete without the clock tower, one of Barcelona's often overlooked landmarks. But did you know it was the first lighthouse in Barcelona and one of the first lighthouses in the Mediterranean?

It was designed in 1772 by the engineer Jorge Próspero de Verboom, who oversaw the renovation of the entire port. For many years, the light from the lighthouse guided the boats entering the harbour. The lighthouse fell into disuse in 1904 and the decision was taken to preserve the tower and place a clock on the top.

The tower is pyramidal in shape and made of stone. It stands on a stone plinth. The stucco work and the clock case were added at a later date.

Curious facts about the clock tower

The clock tower played a central role in the creation of the international decimal metric system that is still used today. It was one of the places where the scientist Pierre F. Méchain took measurements, along with Montjuïc Castle and Barcelona Cathedral.

The tower stands at the intersection of a parallel and the Paris meridian. In fact, Ildefons Cerdà took this into account when he laid out two of the city's main arteries – Avinguda Paral·lel and Avinguda Meridiana – which lie exactly on the imaginary lines they are named after.

The clock tower was declared a Cultural Asset of Local Interest. It stands on the fishing quay, the Moll dels Pescadors, and has become a symbol of the Barceloneta district. Although it isn't open to visitors, you can see it from different parts of the old harbour, the Port Vell.