The secrets of the Plaça d'Idrissa Diallo in Barcelona

Beyond the emblematic and touristic places, what makes a city unique are its secrets and its corners. Plaça d’Idrissa Diallo -formerly called Antonio López- is one of those special places. And it is not only because of the imposing Post Office building that presides over it. Classicist in style but with baroque elements, it was completed in 1927. In the center of the square, you can still see the pedestal of the old statue dedicated to Antonio López, which was destroyed in the war and replicated by Frederic Marès in 1944, and removed in 2018 because it is believed that the honoree got rich in the slave trade.

For a short time, the pedestal was occupied without permission by a street artist’s sculpture depicting a child and a teddy bear embracing in a vibrant red color. Under the cement of this unique square is the phantom Correos metro station, which can still be seen from the metro line 4 towards La Pau, between the Jaume I and Barceloneta stops.