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This is the story of the now-defunct Experimental Farm, which was located on land located within the limits of the town of Gracia.
It occupied the estate called Torre del Plan in the surroundings of the current Francesc Macià square. The northern part was delimited by the course of Travessera de Gracia and the southern limit by Coello street (currently Londres), while, in width, it covered from Villarroel street almost to Comte Borrell street.
But its history had begun inside the old walled city, in a closed lot that was intended for a Botanical Garden and that had been created on February 16, 1784, by Francisco de Paula Gassol de Sentmenat y de Clariana, IV Marqués de Sentmenat, located on the streets of Cera and Lealtad.
The Marquis de Sentmenat, when building the garden, had only asked for one condition, to put his coat of arms on the entrance door and to keep a key to the door so that he could enter whenever he wanted to pick flowers or simply take a walk.
With the demolition of the walls and the beginning, in 1854, of the urbanization of the old city, the Botanical Garden was drowned in an area in full development, so it was necessary to demolish it.
It was then when Joaquín María Gassol de Sentmenat i de Villalonga, 5th Marquis of Sentmenat, to facilitate the transfer of the garden, offered an exchange with another large estate that was located on the grounds of the old Torre del Plan.
The land had an area of 25 hanegadas, which is currently equivalent to 64,596 areas or 13,775.16 hectares, located in an area of cultivated fields on the outskirts of Villa de Gracia, in a width that would cover from Villarroel street to the Borrell street.
The special condition that the Marquis de Senmenat placed was that, as in the old botanical garden, in the new construction the coat of arms would be placed above the entrance door and a door key would also be kept. For his transfer he contributed with the construction of the buildings, as well as with another 2,500 per year for ordinary expenses.
He also demanded a series of additional conditions: Reserve 4 hanegadas to dedicate them to the construction of a botanical garden and the remaining 21 to dedicate them to an agricultural farm for the training of peasants and farmers.
The agreement was closed and materialized in the plots that over time would be limited by Borrell, Villarroel and Londres streets, and Francesc Macià square.
It must be remembered that that part of the city, where the farm was located, was still occupied by fields owned by Joaquín María Gassol de Sentmenat and Villalonga, 5th Marquess of Sentmenat.
A problem that the signatories did not contemplate at that time is that the Sentmenat family, to finish off the signing of the project, established that the future of the Experimental Garden was protected from any attempt at change and linked to its dedication to other than agricultural purposes.
The first director of the farm was the agronomist Jaume Llansó, who held the position until his death. He was replaced by José Tristán i Serret, later, it was the veterinarian José Presta who held the position. To study the weather influence on crops, in 1863 a weather station was installed on the farm.
In 1870 the Barcelona Provincial Council was appointed responsible for the Experimental Farm by the Spanish Government and in charge of providing official education, becoming the Provincial School of Agriculture.
With the approval by the Government on June 9, 1859 of the completion of the projected Cerdà Ensanche plan, the first problem for the consolidation of the farm began, which forced the City Council, in 1906, to comment to the Marquis de Sentmenat, who the unstoppable development of the Eixample forces us to reconsider the change of situation from the farm to other land, in order to open the future Diagonal avenue.
The execution of the urbanization of that part of the city, collided head-on with the viability of the farm, which hindered the development of one of the main roads designed by Cerdà to relieve the congestion of the new city, which had a of the two main arteries that would cross the city of Barcelona.
From the first moment, the family puts all possible impediments tending to the contract signed at the time. Finally, given the pressure received to accept the transfer, he proposes that the family accept it if the place becomes a public garden, dedicated to honoring the memory of his ancestor.
Given the drift that events were taking, on April 10, 1906, the Ministry of Public Works promulgated a Royal Order, addressed to the president of the Provincial Council, to proceed immediately to solve it.
Ministry of development. Royal order.
Hon. Mr., having seen the background information in this Ministry regarding the Farm-Institute of Agriculture of Barcelona, and especially the request presented by Your Excellency on the 6th of the present, exposing the special situation of that establishment, its prompt transfer to another site is of interest, since the land they currently occupy is insufficient for the services that are to be provided there, and they are also affected by several large roads of the expansion of that capital.
The order after many recitals ended:
H. M. the King (Q. D. G.) has served to order that Deputation be entrusted with his worthy presidency to carry out everything necessary for the transfer of the current Farm-Institute of Agriculture, Botanical Garden and Provincial School of Agriculture to another place where they can be provided with the greatest possible improvement these services.
The contracts that are carried out for this purpose, of alienations, exchanges, acquisitions and others, must be subject to the approval of this Ministry, to which the building projects for the new Establishment formulated by the Director of the Farm will also be presented for the purpose. Institute of Agriculture of Barcelona, which will take into account the services created in these Centers by the Royal Decrees of October 10, 1908 and January 15 and March 4, 1904.
By royal order, I communicate it to Your Excellency for your knowledge and other effects. God keep Your Excellency for many years. Madrid April 10, 1906.
On Wednesday, April 25, 1905, La Vanguardia, on page 3, gave an account of the votes that should have been carried out in the Provincial Council, chaired by the Civil Governor, the Duke of Bivona.
