Barcelona No. 20

This font made news in July 2005 when a delegation of this municipality travelled to Catalonia to corroborate the ownership file of the object. Apparently the font, a glazed ceramic basin made in Ubeda in 1658, was removed from the Paroquia de San Juan Evangelista, Mancha Real, Jaén province, during the Desamortización de Mendizábal [closing of monasteries and confiscation of Church property], in the 19th century; it was later in the hands of a lawyer in Barcelona and was later acquired by the Palacio de Montjuic. The Palacio Nacional de Mnotjuic claims ownership based on its legal acquisition ["El Palacio Nacional de Monjuic ha remitido una carta a la parroquia de Mancha Real (Jaén) en la que explicó que "el Ayuntamiento de Barcelona es el propietario oficial de la pila bautismal", pues compró "legítimamente" la pieza y amparó dicho argumento en el Reglamento Estatal de Bienes de Corporaciones Legales"]. The font is not on show and is said not to be included in the catalogues of the Palacio either, but it is said to be easily identifiable as its date and procedence are clearly visible on the rim of the object. [Source: several press notes from Europa Press, including an article in 'Andalucía 24 Horas: Diario Digital de Andalucía' [www.andalucia24horas.com] [accessed 5 December 2006]. A campaign by the original parish to recover the 17th-century font is now [8 Novembeer 2018] underway [http://www.redjaen.es/francis/?m=c&o=19948&letra=&ord=&id=57424] [accessed 8 November 2018]. The museum declines the request and claim, and reiterates that the piece was acquired legally by the Barcelona municipality. The present font in the parish church is modern.