What Is the Poble Espanyol and What Can I Do Before the Flamenco Show at Tablao de Carmen?

Our village, the Poble Espanyol, was in fact conceived to disappear. It was built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition as an ephemeral space that was meant to be torn down after the event. The idea was to offer a quick tour of Spain in all its variety at a time when very few people could afford to travel. To design the site, extensive fieldwork was carried out: the cultural promoter Miguel Utrillo, the architects Ramón Reventós and Francesc Folguera, and the painter Xavier Nogués traveled through 1,600 towns across Spain in a Hispano-Suiza. For four months they gathered information, photographed and sketched the houses and structures they wanted to bring to the mountain of Montjuïc in Barcelona.

The talent lay in the ability to synthesize and harmonize different aesthetics in a single space: two gates of Ávila lead into a main square inspired by those of the villages of Castilla-La Mancha, which then gives way to a tower from an Aragonese village and leads to streets taken from the white villages of Andalusia. 117 buildings that recreate the essence of Spanish urban design in four zones: north, south, central and Mediterranean.

Visitors were fascinated by that patriotic amusement park, and the decision was made not to demolish it. This was also possible thanks to Miguel Utrillo, who went against the guidelines to build with light, ephemeral materials and used more durable ones. It also pleased the intellectuals of the day, such as the painter and writer Santiago Rusiñol: “The unity of the country is a fact in this pleasant ensemble where all the architectural values blend into a picturesque and agreeable whole, which seemed impossible,” he said of the new space.

Montjuïc Changed Forever

It is not the only example of a temporary structure that ends up becoming a tourist icon of a great city: the Eiffel Tower was going to be dismantled after the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle, but its use as a radio antenna, rather than any approval from the Parisians, who were horrified by it, is what kept it standing.

In our case, in Barcelona, many of the Exposition’s buildings also remained and changed the mountain of Montjuïc forever: the Venetian Towers of Plaça d’Espanya, the National Art Museum of Catalonia, the Teatre Grec, the Magic Fountain and a long list of others endured. Others, such as the Oriental Village (Pueblo Oriental) or the La Foixarda Amusement Park, disappeared after the Exposition.

Flamenco at the Exposition

The Poble Espanyol opened on May 20, 1929, but its key moment in the history of Tablao de Carmen came a year later. In June 1930, the Andalusian Week was held, a high point in the Catalan–Andalusian relations that were beginning to crystallize and become visible in numerous shows, venues, flamenco cafés and bars across the city. The first public flamenco showcases in Catalonia merged with Andalusian and Murcian migration, making Barcelona a city where flamenco became a fixture of the night. Already emerging there was a young gitana (Spanish Romani) who would change the history of flamenco: Carmen Amaya, to whom we pay tribute at Tablao de Carmen.

A Young Future Star

Among the celebrations of that Andalusian Week, which included, for example, a parade along Passeig de Gràcia, the young Carmen had her moment in the shows held at that Poble Espanyol. It was there that one of her first appearances in the press was captured, specifically for La Vanguardia, in which she posed surrounded by her family.

In the Patio del Farolillo, which is now part of our tablao (flamenco venue) and was renamed Patio de Carmen, she performed a flamenco show in front of King Alfonso XIII. Before dancing, she addressed him and shouted: “This one is for you, Mr. King!“, showing from adolescence a self-assurance and naturalness that would lead her to rub shoulders with high-profile figures for the rest of her career.

A Tour of the Poble Espanyol Before the Flamenco Show

Visitors who come to enjoy a flamenco evening at Tablao de Carmen can stroll around the whole Poble Espanyol before (or after), with admission included in the tablao ticket. This historic space, so different from other tourist attractions, is home to a wide range of leisure options: bars, restaurants, nightclubs, craft shops, costume jewelry shops, shops selling local products… here we go through several of the options.

Bars and Restaurants

As soon as you enter the site, the tables of a bar invite you to take part in one of the most sacred customs for Spaniards: having a drink on a terrace. The bar is called Casa del Sol. Further on, in the Plaza Mayor, are most of the restaurants: Abrelatas, dedicated to tapas; Albí, specializing in Mediterranean cuisine; Boca Loco, with home-style food; La Foixarda, with paellas and grilled meats; and Llavor del Isi’s, with pizzas and Catalan cuisine.

On Calle Caballeros we find Flamma, a venue specializing in cocas (Catalan flatbreads); and a little further on, among the Arcos de Sos, Casa Masana, where visitors can taste typical Spanish dishes, sandwiches and combo plates. Further along, just before entering the Calle Arcos where our tablao is located, in the Plaza Aragonesa, is La Bodeguita del Poble, specializing in menus for company dinners, events, weddings or private parties.

Next to La Bodeguita, opposite the replica of the Torre de Utebo, is one of the most original, MexGal, which combines Galician and Mexican tradition. In that same little square is one of the most original attractions: FIESTA, an audiovisual space dedicated to Spain’s festivals that shows the country’s most typical popular celebrations on a giant screen. Next to it is the Poble’s other museum, the Fran Daurel Foundation, a private collection of contemporary painting, sculpture and ceramics with several of the great names of Catalan art such as Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí and Antoni Tàpies.

Continuing with restaurants, if we enter the Andalusian quarter and reach Plaza de la Font, we find La Font del Prades, specializing in rice dishes, cod and the grilled meats typical of Catalonia.

Of course, Tablao de Carmen is another of the Poble Espanyol’s restaurants, where you can enjoy Andalusian flavors before watching live flamenco.

Curious visitors can also treat themselves to all kinds of gourmet products in the food shops of the Poble. The list of grocery shops is long, but to mention a few: on the main street, called Príncipe de Viana, are the Heladería La Granja, with ice cream, waffles, coffee and crêpes; Poble Ibéric, specializing in Iberian cured meats; and Torrons Vicens, with a wide variety of turrón (nougat) and chocolates. On Calle de Conquista are the Delicias Extremeñas; and on the Santiago steps, the Galician products shop Faro do Norte.

For Barça Fans and Fashion Lovers

If visitors are interested in more than good food, the shops of the Poble also satisfy the curiosity of those into costume jewelry, clothing and decor. With their own distinct and varied style, the shops Oksana, Art Monias and Devesalove welcome the boldest dressers. For necklaces, earrings, bracelets and costume jewelry in general, Les Perles, Mon de Mones and Taller Amparo Valencia are must-stop places. A very original and curious must-see is Dolores Montero, focused on glass objects and creations. To buy out-of-the-ordinary travel souvenirs, it is worth visiting Mercilona, Ole que arte and Yvonne Turull, which specializes in fans (abanicos). And of course, for those who come to Barcelona for football, there is also an official FC Barcelona store, with clothing and gifts for blaugrana fans.

Party in a Historic Setting

In addition, three nightclubs are located on the site. La Terrazza, an open-air club that has been hosting parties with electronic music as the star for 25 years; Upload, which besides nightlife programs concerts and talk shows; and Input, which bets on dance music blended with performances and visual art. To these clubs add the music festivals held in the Poble Espanyol throughout the year.

It is a singular space that has changed over time but keeps the initial drive with which it was created, and it has earned the admiration of the thousands of people who have visited it. It has even prompted the creation of other themed spaces around the world. Michael Eisner, then chief executive of Disney, said as much, claiming that the Poble Espanyol had inspired his company’s theme parks.