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La Model prison

Download date: 21/10/2026

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Inaugurated in 1904, La Model was built according to rationalist trends of the time and was the most important prison in Catalonia for much of the 20th century.

  • Urban spaces

A new generation of prisons

The La Model prison was based on the system devised by English thinker Jeremy Bentham, who came up with the idea of the panopticon, a type of institutional building with a central tower that allowed the whole complex to be controlled from a single surveillance point. The architects Salvador Vinyals and Josep Domènech i Estapà were responsible for its construction. Under the Franco regime, it became a symbol of repression: many political and trade union prisoners spent many years in its cells. Prisoners were executed here until 1974. The last was Salvador Puig Antich, one of the last victims of the dictatorship, who was executed by garrotte vil. The Barcelona film director Manuel Huerga dedicated the film Salvador to Puig Antich.


Space regained for use by the citizens 

La Model currently has new public uses, including cultural, educational and community uses, plus La Model, a memory space that regains and interprets the history of this former prison, as well as other public facilities and spaces for use by local people. 

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Location and contact

Location and contact

La Model prison

Address:
Carrer d'Entença, 155
Districte:
Eixample
Neighborhood:
la Nova Esquerra de l'Eixample
City:
Barcelona
Getting there
Links
Web: http://lamodel.barcelona

Timetable and prices

Timetable

Period Dies Hores Preus
De l'1 September al 31 July De dilluns a divendres

a les 17.00 h

(sessió en català)
Free admission

a les 17.30 h

(sessió en castellà)

Saturday

Except 1 November and 6 December

a les 11.00 h i a les 17.00 h

(sessions en català)

a les 11.30 h i a les 17.30 h

(sessions en castellà)
Diumenge excepte festius

a les 10.30 h

(sessió en català)

a les 12.00 h

(sessió en castellà)

Museum Night 2025:

17 May

 From 7.00 pm to 01.00 am
De l'1 August al 31 August Closed every day

Closed

Tot l'any

Excepte agost

 Monday to Saturday From 10.00 am to 8.00 pm
Sunday From 10.00 am to 2.00 pm

Events

Observacions

The Barcelona Men’s Penitentiary Centre, La Model, was designed by architects Salvador Vinyals i Sabaté and Josep Domènech i Estapà, and inaugurated on 9 June 1904. It was in operation for 113 years, spanning periods from the Restoration (Tragic Week, anarchism, trade unionism) through the Franco dictatorship and into democracy.

Barcelona City Council, which has been responsible for the facility since 1 January 2018, continues to work on the restoration of the building and the definition of its future uses.

To visit La Model, advance booking is required via its website.

  • Smoking, eating, and drinking are not permitted inside the premises.
  • Pets are not allowed, except for assistance animals.

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