Passeig de Gràcia connected the old walled Barcelona with a nearby town that for a long time had a life of its own: Vila de Gràcia. Before being incorporated into Barcelona in 1897, Gràcia already had a strong, popular, and community-based identity. We'll start the tour at the entrance to Passeig de Gràcia to understand the relationship between the bourgeois Barcelona of the boulevard and this former town with its own character.
From there, we'll enter the universe of the plazas of la Gràcia. The first stop will be Plaça de la Vila, the historical and political heart of the area, where you will discover the assertive character of the old town. Then we'll continue to Plaça del Raspall and Plaça del Poble Romaní, two key spaces to talk about the Romani community in Gràcia and the origin of one of the most authentically Barcelonian musical styles: the Catalan rumba.
We'll continue to Plaça del Sol, one of the liveliest squares in the area, where we'll talk about local life, historic cafes, and the Festa Major de Gràcia, one of the best-known popular celebrations in Barcelona. Later, Plaça de la Revolució will allow us to connect local history with the revolts of the 19th century and with the memory of the Spanish Civil War.
The Civil War will also be present on Plaça del Diamant, linked to Mercè Rodoreda's novel and the neighborhood's air raid shelters, and on Plaça de les Dones del 36, dedicated to the memory of the women who lived and resisted during that period.
We'll continue to Plaça de la Virreina, where we'll learn about the history of the old palace that gave the square its name, the importance of these open spaces in the urban fabric of Gràcia, and the presence of a small chapel attributed to Gaudí. This stop will also serve to connect us with Casa Vicens, the first great work by Antoni Gaudí and one of the neighborhood's Modernist treasures.
Finally, after having explored the history, music, memory, and community life of Gràcia, we'll pass by the Mercat de la Llibertat, a market whose name preserves part of the district's political and popular memory.
We'll end the experience at a local vermouth bar, El Celler de la Ribera, with a glass of vermouth, wine, or craft beer and an starter of crisps, olives, and secallona. Because Gràcia is also about this: chatting, sharing a table, and enjoying the laid-back pace of area life.
