Cinema Princesa, Movie theater in Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera, Spain
Cinema Princesa is a building at Via Laietana 14, on the corner with Carrer Manresa in Barcelona, constructed in the late 1920s. It opened as a cinema on 17 March 1923 and was later renamed Cinema Layetana in 1931. The building stopped screening films in June 1970 and stood abandoned for over twenty years before being occupied in 1996.
The venue opened its doors in March 1923 and was renamed Cinema Layetana in 1931 during the Second Spanish Republic. It operated as a cinema until June 1970.
The occupied cinema hosted concerts, theatre, film screenings, talks and exhibitions, and became known in the neighbourhood for large benefit parties raising aid for the Zapatistas. Its name and the slogan "contra l'especulació, okupació" marked it as a protest against speculation and high rents. The project was run without profit and open to the public.
The building sits within walking distance of Urquinaona metro station and is easily accessible on foot from other attractions in the old town. The location allows visitors to explore the Sant Pere neighborhood while visiting nearby sites.
The eviction of the building in October 1996 triggered a wave of occupation movements across Barcelona. This event led to the establishment of other notable occupied spaces that became important community centers in the city.
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