History
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Ramón Mercader's arrest in Mexico.
The Story of Ramón Mercader, Trotsky's Assassin
Mercader was a Catalan communist who murdered Leon Trotsky.
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The Bittersweet Story of "el Noi de Sucre"
The story of the assassination of Salvador Seguí, a trade union activist who supported a non-violent approach.
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Spanish refugees at Le Perthus, France, in 1939. Keystone-France/Getty Images
Fleeing Franco: Spain's Civil War Refugees
An estimated 275,000 Spaniards went into exile during the Spanish Civil War. Many of them never returned.
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Sant Pau del Camp, photo by Bob Masters courtesy of Generalitat de Catalunya (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 ES).
Monestir de Sant Pau del Camp: Barcelona’s Romanesque Gem
The Monestir de Sant Pau del Camp (Monastery of Saint Paul of the Fields) is one of the best examples of Lombard Romanesque architecture in the city, and is what remains of an historic Benedictine monastery.
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International Workers' Day demonstration in Barcelona, 2016. Photo by Antonio Lajusticia Bueno courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Why Is May 1st a Holiday in Spain?
Many traditions or products that are imported from the US receive pushback in Spain. However, one tradition borrowed from America in 1889 that has continued to be popular amongst the Spanish people is Labor Day, or el Día del Trabajador.
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La Casa de la Misericòrdia de Barcelona
Founded in 1581, the Casa offered aid and shelter to the city’s poor and homeless population, which represented an important and growing problem for the urban center.
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House of Orphaned Infants (Casa dels Infants Orfes), photo by Carlos Pino Andújar (CC BY-SA 3.0 ES) via Wikimedia Commons.
The Baby Hatch
During the Industrial Revolution, low wages and bad living conditions forced some families to leave their children at the orphanage.
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The medieval buildings of the Hospital de la Santa Creu now houses the Biblioteca de Catalunya and other cultural organizations, including an arts school. Photo by Josep Renalias (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons.
L’Antic Hospital de la Santa Creu
The Antic Hospital de la Sant Creu was Barcelona's health-care center for over five centuries and is one of the city's most impressive examples of Catalan Gothic architecture.
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Icon of Saint Thecla from the 11th century illuminated manuscript Menologion of Basil II.
Thecla, the Beast Fighter: The Saint Who Faced Down Lions and Killer Seals Is One of Many "Leading Ladies" in Early Christian Texts
Santa Thecla is the patron saint of the city of Tarragona, where the cathedral is named after her and images of her decorate the altarpiece. Each year the city celebrates her story through parades, music, dancing and human towers.
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Barcelona in the Plague Years
Still recovering from the famine in the previous decade that killed ten thousand in the city—25% of the population—the black plague is likely to have eliminated 40% of Catalunya's population.
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