Plaça dels Infants

Plaça dels Infants is a small square with an outsized history, tucked into the port district (Barri del Port) of Tarragona and protected as a local cultural heritage site (Bé Cultural d'Interès Local). It sits between Carrer Reial and Carrer Smith, in a neighborhood shaped for generations by the working port and the industries that grew up around it.

Why is it called the "Children's Square"?

Visitors often assume the name comes from the bronze sculpture of two children playing in the fountain at the square's center — but that's a popular misreading. The name actually honors the infantrymen (infants d'Infanteria in Catalan) who died defending Tarragona during the French siege of 1811. It's a small piece of local trivia that even long-time residents enjoy correcting: the children in the fountain came later, the soldiers came first.

The square's story begins in 1863, when the city council voted to urbanize what had been known simply as Plaça del Port and gave it the name Plaça dels Infants. That same year, a decorative pool was built at its center, fitted with ornamental fountains topped with gas-lit candelabra — a genuinely modern civic project for its time.

The name didn't stay fixed, though. In 1868, during a period of revolutionary upheaval, the square was briefly renamed Plaça de Topete, after Juan Bautista Topete, a leader of the naval uprising in Cádiz, before reverting to its earlier name. In 1911, to mark the centenary of the French siege, it was renamed once more — this time Plaça dels Artillers del Setge — and a bronze plaque by sculptor Campeny was unveiled to commemorate the fallen artillerymen. Eventually the square settled back into the name it carries today.

What is there to see on the square?

The centerpiece is a circular fountain with a bronze sculpture of two children playing with water — the very feature that gives rise to the common (if technically incorrect) explanation of the square's name. The fountain went dry for a period, but in 2023 the water was switched back on, to the visible relief of neighbors who had missed it.

The buildings ringing the square carry their own industrial pedigree. One is the former headquarters of De Muller, a wine house that once supplied the Holy See. The other is the old Chartreuse liqueur factory, established by Carthusian monks; the building has since changed hands and now houses the local Official School of Languages (Escola Oficial d'Idiomes).

In 1948, palm trees removed from the nearby Passeig de Santa Clara — today's Passeig de les Palmeres — were replanted here, and some of them still stand, giving the square its Mediterranean silhouette.

What does the square look like today?

In 2020, the city council carried out a round of improvements funded through participatory budgeting, based on a proposal put forward by residents of the port district. Six dead palm trees were replaced, new trees were planted for shade — particularly over the children's play area — a wooden fence was installed around that play zone for safety, and a chess table was added. The work cost just over €48,000 and was described by the city as one of several steps toward revitalizing the port neighborhood.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Plaça dels Infants? It's located in Tarragona's port district (Barri del Port), between Carrer Reial and Carrer Smith.

Does the square's name refer to children? Not originally. Despite the fountain's sculpture of two children, the name historically commemorates infantry soldiers who died in the 1811 French siege of Tarragona.

What historic buildings surround the square? The former De Muller winery headquarters and the old Chartreuse liqueur factory, the latter now home to the Official School of Languages.

Is the square suitable for families with children? Yes — it has a fenced play area, shade trees, and a chess table added during the 2020 renovation.

Is the square a protected heritage site? Yes, Plaça dels Infants is listed as a Bé Cultural d'Interès Local, a locally protected cultural asset.