When we think about the\u00a0University of Barcelona (UB)<\/strong>Students with backpacks, packed cafeterias, and quiet (or not so quiet) libraries come to mind. But behind their walls lie stories that seem straight out of a historical comedy: forced moves, superstitions, serious architects, students with leeches, and speeches that last longer than a TV marathon.<\/p>\n\n\n The University of Barcelona was founded in 1450<\/strong>, long before Columbus reached America. To put it in perspective: when this center was built, the United States, Coca-Cola, and Netflix didn't yet exist. And yes, people survived without Wi-Fi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first faculty was Medicine<\/strong>, and over time they joined Law, Arts and Theology<\/strong>. At that time, medical diagnoses included the use of leeches<\/strong>Headache? Leeches. Bad mood? Leeches. Failed exam? Well, that was incurable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Medieval medicine was a mixture of science, superstition, and faith. Students learned anatomy with drawings that looked like something out of a horror comic, and professors were more alchemists than doctors. Even so, the UB was a pioneer in medical education in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After Barcelona's defeat in 1714<\/strong>, the king Philip V<\/strong> decided to punish the city by closing its university and moving it to Cervera<\/strong>, in the province of Lleida. It was what we could call the Rural Erasmus<\/strong>: The students were crying, the teachers were protesting, and even Cervera's sheep seemed to suffer with so many lost students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The decision was political: to centralize power and weaken Barcelona. The UB remained outside the city during more than a century<\/strong>, until in 1837<\/strong> He was able to return thanks to liberal reforms. It was a moment of celebration for the entire city. Imagine the students: back to parties, bars, and academic life right on the Rambla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During this exile, Cervera became the epicenter of Catalonia's university life, but with a more monastic than festive atmosphere. Classes were rigid, supervision was strict, and coffee was nonexistent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The historic building of the University of Barcelona, inaugurated in 1871<\/strong>, was designed by Elias Rogent<\/strong>, a serious, sober architect who loved straight lines. Rogent was a mentor to Antoni Gaudi<\/strong>, the genius of the Sagrada Familia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The comparison is inevitable: if Gaud\u00ed is the psychedelic cousin, Rogent was the serious one. The UB building is solid, elegant, and neo-Romanesque\u2026 but without dragons on the roofs or columns that look like donuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even so, the building is an architectural gem. Its interior courtyards, majestic staircases, and imposing fa\u00e7ade make it one of the city's symbols. And even though it doesn't have flamenco-dancing gargoyles, it's still a place steeped in history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the UB opened in 1450, it had four main faculties:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A college party in that era must have been epic: doctors diagnosing hangovers, lawyers arguing over who should pay for the beer, artists drawing nudes, and theologians shouting that the whole thing was immoral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These faculties were the seed of a university that, over time, expanded to all branches of knowledge. Today, the UB has more than\u00a0100,000 students<\/strong>\u00a0and dozens of degrees, but its roots live on in every corner of the historic building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He Auditorium<\/strong> The University of Barcelona's great auditorium is a monumental space that has seen it all:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This hall witnessed the struggle for freedom, public education, and civil rights. But let's face it, it has also been the scene of some of the longest speeches in history. So long that students joked that the only thing revolutionizing there were the coffee makers<\/strong>, ready to endure endless conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, the Auditorium remains a place for meeting, reflection, and, why not, the occasional hidden nap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among the curiosities of the University of Barcelona, behind the historic building, between columns and corridors, there is a hidden\u00a0interior garden<\/strong>\u00a0It looks like something out of a novel. It's an oasis of peace amidst the urban chaos, where students read, rest, or simply escape reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This garden has witnessed university romances, philosophical debates, and the occasional impromptu lecture. If you visit the UB, don't miss it. And if you do so with\u00a0HL Comedy Tours<\/strong>We'll tell you which floor is the most nosy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The University of Barcelona<\/strong> Not only is it one of the most important educational centers in Spain and Europe, it is also a place full of anecdotes, curiosities and legends<\/strong> that reflect the spirit of the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From forced moves to Lleida to students struggling with exams (and endless speeches), the UB has survived it all. And the best part: it remains a vibrant space, with gardens, historic classrooms, and thousands of young people writing their own history every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you want to discover the University of Barcelona like never before? Join our\u00a0comedy tour of the UB<\/strong>, where we mix history, humor, and augmented reality so you can experience the past with laughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Book now at hlcomedytours.com<\/a> either histary.es<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Laugh, learn, and explore the UB like never before!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00bfUna universidad con m\u00e1s drama que una serie de Netflix? En este art\u00edculo, te traemos\u00a05 curiosidades de la Universidad de Barcelona\u00a0que te har\u00e1n verla con otros ojos. Y si te animas, puedes descubrirlas en persona con nuestro tour c\u00f3mico por la UB. Cuando pensamos en la\u00a0Universidad de Barcelona (UB), nos vienen a la mente estudiantes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27458,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[243,240,244,246,218,241,247,242,245],"yoast_head":"\n![\"curiosidades](\"https:\/\/hlcomedytours.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Universitat-de-Barcelona-Historia.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nA university older than America (and Wi-Fi)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
From exile to Cervera: the saddest Erasmus in history<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Gaud\u00ed studied here\u2026 but his teacher was the \u201cboring\u201d architect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Medicine, Law, Arts and Theology: the first faculties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Auditorium: revolutions, endless speeches, and student protests<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Bonus: Did you know there's a secret garden?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion: a university with history\u2026 and a lot of humor<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Book your tour with HL Comedy Tours in Barcelona<\/h2>\n\n\n\n