The house of a poet

Vil·la Joana is a very imposing old farmhouse that was built in the 18th century and later turned into a Neoclassical-style residence. It stands on Carretera de l’Església, in the natural surroundings of Parc de Collserola. The fact that it was in these hills and had belonged to a friend of Jacint Verdaguer’s, Ramon Miralles, is the reason the poet, afflicted by tuberculosis, decided to spend the final years of his life there.

The leading figure in the Catalan Renaissance died in Vil·la Joana in 1920 and, since then, the house has preserved the essence of his time there, leaving the rooms he occupied as they were.

In memory of the poet

Some time after his death, Barcelona City Council bought Vil·la Joana from its former owners. Initially it was turned into a pioneering school but later it became a house museum, the Museu-Casa Verdaguer. Now a Museu d’Història de Barcelona (MUHBA) heritage site, it is currently being remodelled and only the ground floor remains open.

Until the exhibition re-opens, it will not be possible to see again the numerous reminders of the author of Canigó and L’Atlàntida, such as his writing desk, his office and his bedroom, in the house gallery. Despite that, a walk around the estate offers a chance to discover the vegetation that inspired Verdaguer, who was an expert on plants and trees, and enjoy the natural poetry away from the noise of the city.