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BARCELONA is number three in the world for the most beautiful monuments, beating much-loved European destinations such as Paris, Florence and Athens, according to a recent study.
Eye-Catching Architecture analysed hundreds of streets on every continent, and over 2,400 buildings, to try to work out which city had the most attractive and in-proportion of structures.
Venice came out as world number one for most beautiful monuments, followed by Rome, based upon a complex mathematical equation often used by professional artists and building designers.
Known as the 'golden ratio', two quantities are said to be within it if their ratio is the same as the ratio of their sum to the larger of the two quantities.
Although this definition may be confusing to many, it has been studied by mathematicians for thousands of years and examples of visual effects with a 'golden ratio' are found everywhere in nature, from the shape of the human body, of flowers, and even gene structure.
This 'perfect proportion' in art and design is held to be a ratio of 1:1.618.
Eye-Catching Architecture worked out the percentage of buildings in cities worldwide which were within the 'golden ratio' in their design.
In the north-eastern Italian canal city of Venice, 83.3% of monuments were in perfect proportions, according to the study, and in the capital of the same country, Rome's monuments were 82% perfectly proportioned.
Spain's second-largest city was only a fraction behind Rome, at 81.9%, but a wider gap separates it from the world's fourth-ranked most beautiful, the Czech capital of Prague, at 78.7%.
Barcelona also beats New York, which is fifth at 77.7%, and the Greek capital of Athens, at 77.5%.
The world's top 20 most beautiful cities all exceeded 70% - number 20 itself, the Turkish metropolis of İstanbul, scored 70.2%.
From seventh onwards, in descending order, Barcelona has also beaten the Hungarian capital of Budapest (75.9%), the Austrian capital of Vienna (75.8%), Bordeaux in south-western France (75.3%), the north-western Italian city of Milan (75.1%), Sweden's capital, Stockholm (74.8%), the French capital of Paris (74.7%), the west-Italy city of Florence and the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, jointly with (73.6%).
The Danish capital of Copenhagen came 15th, with 73.2%, followed by Marrakech in southern Morocco (72.7%), Chicago, USA and the Dutch capital of Amsterdam, both on 71.7%, and the German capital of Berlin (71.3%).
As well as perfectly proportioned – in 81.9% of cases – Barcelona's monuments are world-famous for being colourful and unusual, particularly where the legendary architect Antoni Gaudí had a hand in creating them.
The psychedelic Parc Güell, the 'wobbly' Casa Batllò, and the unfinished Sagrada Família cathedral are all instantly recognisable.
By the time the Sagrada Família is complete, it will have employed builders born in three different centuries – already, nobody who saw the first bricks being laid is still alive today.
It was due for completion in 2026, the centenary year of Gaudí's death – he was hit by a bus right in front of the cathedral he designed – but the Covid pandemic, with lockdowns and lack of visitor ticket income to fund it means the work is unlikely to be on schedule.
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