During the 19C, this avenue linking the old town with the village of Gràcia became the residential area for the city's bourgeoisie and the place to be seen. The street lamps illuminating it are one of the symbols of the city. Designed by Pere Faqués in 1900, they illustrate the Modernist trend popular with wealthy industrialists of the time. The passeig ("promenade") is home to some of the most beautiful and most characteristic examples of this style of architecture.