The Fantastic Sagrada Familia: A Masterpiece in the Making

Introduction

The Sagrada Familia, located in the heart of Barcelona, Spain, is an architectural marvel that captivates the imagination of millions of visitors every year.

Designed by the visionary architect Antoni Gaudí, this extraordinary basilica stands as an awe-inspiring testament … Read more

A Dirty Little History of the Catalan ‘Santa Claus’

tio de nadal

The real origins and history of the Catalan equivalent of Santa Claus are Barcelona’s best-kept secrets.

As I was digging into the urban history of Barcelona, I stumbled into one of the best kept and hidden secrets of the city. … Read more

Barcelona’s blotted out history of hygiene, fecal waste business and the Caganers.

tap water in barcelona

Barcelona has almost 2000 years of special connection with neatness and human feces.

There are a lot of peculiar histories, but one of my favourites is the history of hygiene and cleaning services of Barcelona.

The neatness of the old … Read more

What are the genetic differences between the Spanish and Catalan populations? Or are there any?

toddlers

Are there any genetic differences between the Spanish and Catalan populations.

The Catalan people and language.

catalan flagThe Catalan people live in the region called Catalonia (Catalunya), in eastern Spain. The Catalan language is a member of the Romance language family Read more

Why was the dualism of Good and Evil of the Cathars threatening the Roman Catholic Church?

El bien y el mal cataros

The dualism of good and evil.

cathars occitaniaCatharism was one of several religious movements that emerged during the Middle Ages becoming deeply rooted in Occitania and threatening the foundations of Roman Catholicism.

The guiding ideal of the Cathars was to return … Read more

Soluciones a la crisis democrática que vive España.

bandera españa

¿Es España un país democrático?

Han pasado más de 40 años desde que el General Francisco Franco muriese tranquilamente en su cama el 20 de noviembre de 1975.  Sin embargo, parece que su sombra sigue proyectándose todavía en España a … Read more

Guernica: Photograph of the Day by Manel Armengol.

Manel Armengol

Today is the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Guernica.

During the Spanish Civil War, 26 April 1937 at 16.30, the Nazi German Luftwaffe’s Condor Legion and the Fascist Italian Aviazione Legionaria, under the code name Operation Rügen, bombed … Read more