History
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Photo by Tara Shain
Early Signs
Usually found on the corners of buildings and placed at a height of over two meters, these plaques remind us of a time when traffic control was quite a hectic proposal. Read more
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Photo by Roverto Al
Sacred Steps: La Ruta del Cister
This picturesque route—a 105 kilometer, circular section of the GR 175 hiking trail—takes you through rural countryside and ancient villages against a backdrop of the soaring Prades Mountains. Read more
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What Is La Puríssima, and Why Is It a Holiday in Spain?
December 8 is a national holiday on Spain celebrating La Puríssima. But if you ask just about anyone what it is and why it’s a holiday, you’ll quickly learn that many people aren’t really sure. So, why is it a public holiday? Read more
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History Underfoot: The City's Tiles
Of the countless steps that can be taken through the alleyways and avenues of Barcelona, how many are contemplated in terms of their historical significance? Read more
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Paseo de la Constitución in Zaragoza, Spain. Photo by Willtron (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons.
What Is Constitution Day in Spain?
For those of us who moved to Spain within the past decade or two (or three), it’s easy to forget that less than 50 years ago, the country was under the thumb of a dictatorship. In terms of Western democracy, Spain is still very young. Read more
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Photo courtesy of Ajutament de Barcelona.
Who Was Galla Placidia?
Galla Placidia is one of the relatively few women who left an indelible mark on the history of the world during the era that preceded the Middle Ages. Read more
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Children were fed in the Auxilio Social canteens (1937-1938). Biblioteca Nacional de España.
The Silenced Famine of the Spanish Post-war Period Finds a Voice in New Exhibition
The polarized society of the 1940s in Spain was divided between those who could eat the appetizing white bread, made from wheat flour, and those who could only eat black bread, made from rye or barley. Read more
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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. Read more
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Detail of a miniature of witches being burnt and tortured, from "Chroniques de France ou de St Denis," 1332-1350. Image courtesy of the British Library.
Witchcraft in Catalunya
Witches and wizards, healers and sorcerers: Héctor Cols relates the complicated and tumultuous history of witchcraft in Europe and its persecution in Catalunya. Read more
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Montjuic Castle photo by Domenico Convertini (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Flickr.
Barcelona's Montjuïc Castle, Past & Present
Barcelona’s iconic castle, located 173 meters above sea level on the mountain of Montjuïc dates back to the 15th century, and has a long and often bloody history. Read more
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