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Plaça de l’Oli (oil, in Spanish) was one of the many corners of the city of Barcelona that disappeared with the opening of Via Laietana at the beginning of the 20th century.
This square was built in the 12th century and was a meeting place for oil sellers (oli) to carry out transactions of the precious liquid in this place.
It was located at the height of the current Plaça de Ramon Berenguer el Gran. It was bequeathed through the also disappeared streets of Graciamat, Donzelles, Filateres, Tres Voltes and de l’Oli.
The square was formed in one of the curves of the old Torrent del Merdansar, which, late in the 13th century, was converted into a sewer. In 1310, resellers who bought oil in the towns of the province of Barcelona were prohibited from operating.
According to the Rubricas de Bruniquer (Esteve Gilabert Bruniquer i Riera, 1561-1642, Barcelona notary), the measurement of oil was carried out under a porch.
Esteve Gilabert took care of ensuring the city’s supplies and the quality of the products that were sold. The square and its surroundings disappeared in 1911.
