BARCELONA – On Saturday, protesters in Barcelona smashed several “historic and patrimonial” windows of the Palau de la Música Catalana with stones. Replacing the stained glass windows is not possible in many cases.
The Fundació Orfeó Català-Palau de la Música Catalana reported the damage to the building facade. Many of the stained glass windows are irreplaceable as their manufacture no longer takes place. The foundation estimates the cost of damage to the cultural building at €14,000. The modernist construction is the work of Catalan architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner and is the only modernist concert hall to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Counting the cost of protests
In recent days, demonstrations in Barcelona and other Spanish cities led to widespread damage. Vandalism of city furniture, looting of shops and fires were the result of confrontations between rioters and police units. The demonstrations are in protest against the imprisonment of rapper Pablo Hasél.
The La Vanguardia newspaper estimates the damage since the beginning of the protests at €900,000. This does not include damage in the form of stolen products from looting in shops in various parts of the city. Another landmark building damaged by the riots is the Barcelona Stock Exchange.
