The Gypsy Gràcia and the district of the Revolution

On this visit we will embark upon a pleasant introspective journey through time in Barcelona, beginning in the Industrial Revolution, passing through the Civil War, and finishing with the contemporary transformation of the neighborhood. Where? In the District of Gràcia! The birthplace of workers and of the Catalan Rumba!

The passage of the rural Gràcia into the urban way of life was very fast, all the stages were burned without looking back, there, we will see how, with the arrival of industrialisation, the first factories were rapidly placed around the neighborhood. We will see the first houses of workers, most of them, newcomers from the countryside, who arrived in the metropolis seeking a better life.

Later on, we will remember the horrors of the Civil War by visiting a anti-aircraft shelters, remaining open today in order to remind us what must never happen again.

Little by little, we will discover the present of the district through its lively streets and squares, clear examples of life in Vila de Gràcia are at la Plaça del Diamant, there we will relive the stories of Madame Colometa in the novel of Mercè Rodoreda, a Costumbrist novel that reflects perfectly post-war life in the district during one of the darkest times in the city.

Of course when walking in Gràcia, we cannot miss a visit to la Plaça del Raspall, popularly known as the Gipsy Gràcia, where the greats of the Catalan Rumba were born. We will learn stories and anecdotes from the main players and how everything began with Lola Flores, el Pescaílla, Peret and el Gato Pérez.

To stroll through the different squares and streets of la Vila de Gràcia is always a pleasure, a pleasure to everyone; it allow us to experience daily life in a corner of Barcelona relatively untouched by mass tourism, and which has managed to retain the essence of the Barcelona of the 70's that many people yearn for today. Long life la Vila de Gràcia!