Barcelona’s most emblematic thermometer turns 70 at Portal de l’Àngel

The iconic Portal de l’Àngel thermometer is celebrating seven decades in the heart of Barcelona. Its history is marked by an extreme winter and residents’ surprise. Today it is an urban symbol and cultural heritage.

Those walking along Portal de l’Àngel cannot help looking up and checking the temperature on Barcelona’s most famous thermometer. This urban symbol, which has been taking the city’s temperature for 70 years, remains a point of reference for locals and visitors.

Installed in 1956 as an advertising device for Cottet Òptics i Audiometria, the thermometer quickly became part of the everyday landscape. However, its arrival coincided with one of the coldest winters remembered in the city: the mercury dropped to -10 ºC, while the thermometer itself only went down to -5 ºC. Many Barcelonans, puzzled, thought for weeks that the device was not working properly.

Over the years, this thermometer has ceased to be merely an advertisement and become a heritage element. Its presence on one of Barcelona’s busiest streets has made it a silent witness to urban changes, celebrations and waves of heat or cold that have shaped city life.

Today, seven decades after it was installed, the Portal de l’Àngel thermometer continues to arouse the curiosity of those passing beneath its neon light. It is a reminder of how small details can become great symbols for an entire city.

The Portal de l’Àngel thermometer is much more than an instrument for measuring temperature. Its retro design and strategic location have established it as a visual icon of central Barcelona. Over the years, it has witnessed demonstrations, celebrations and changes in the urban landscape. For many, looking at its illuminated scale is an everyday gesture that connects past and present in the very heart of the city’s commercial district.