Avinguda

Avinguda is the Catalan word for an avenue, a wide street or major urban thoroughfare that serves as a primary route through a city or district. In Catalan-speaking areas, street names often begin with Avinguda, signaling a significant road that accommodates traffic, commerce, and public life.

The term is cognate with the Spanish avenida and the French avenue, all deriving from Latin ad via, meaning toward the road. In practice, Avinguda names are used across Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, the Valencian Community, Andorra, and other Catalan-influenced regions to label important routes, promenades, or axes within urban layouts. The design and use of an Avinguda often reflect planning priorities such as wider lanes, median planting, and access to city centers.

Notable examples include Avinguda Diagonal in Barcelona, a major axis that runs diagonally across the city, and Avinguda Meritxell in Andorra la Vella, a central commercial street. In many towns, Avinguda is paired with other toponyms to designate principal cross streets or boulevards, contributing to the navigational and symbolic structure of the urban environment.