Vil·la Joana, History museum in Vallvidrera, Barcelona, Spain
Vil·la Joana is a two-story building with a watchtower and side galleries located in Vallvidrera within Collserola Natural Park. A clock marks the main facade, and the structure now houses exhibitions about Barcelona's history and heritage.
The building was constructed in the 16th century as a rural farmhouse and came into the Miralles family's ownership during the 19th century. The family transformed it from a working farm into an elegant residential dwelling.
The house is named Quinta Juana after Joana Ferran i Catarineu, wife of builder Ramon Miralles i Vilalta, who remodelled it as a summer residence in 1889–1890. The museum keeps the room where Jacint Verdaguer died on 10 June 1902, with its original Thonet furniture, and a phonograph recording of the poet reading two of his poems in 1897.
The museum is free to enter and sits near the Baixador de Vallvidrera FGC train station. The hillside location means some uphill walking is needed to reach it, but the site is accessible on foot from the station.
The special-education school that opened here in 1921 had workshops in carpentry, printing, basketry and photography, and its scientific laboratory covered anthropology, psychiatry, phonetics and optics. The deaf school stayed until 1925 and the school for the blind until 1954.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,995 contributors worldwide.