This square is at the center of social, religious and political life in Sarrià, and the root of its local residents’ identity.
Sarrià was a rural town in the middle of the 19th century. Agriculture was tied to powerful landowners and the remaining nobility. Change here was the direct result of social unrest rather than the industrial revolution. This square witnessed many key events in Catalan history, including the fall of General Espartero. It was during the revolt against this strongman that a member of one of Sarrià’s most influential families died: the pharmacist Margenat. The house on the corner of Carrer Major de Sarrià still bears his name.
The square used to be full of stands selling meat and other produce and hold a dairy from a cow pen in Pedralbes, until the market was built. The stands were gradually replaced with antique fairs, second-hand book sellers and food stalls. Browsing through them, you might find a relic of old Sarrià!