Adjacent to the basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, the Fossar de les Moreres (or ‘Mulberry Graveyard’) holds a special significance in Catalan history and culture. Most visitors wonder why a flame burns eternally atop a soaring, arched pole. Here’s why: the plaça was built over a cemetery where defenders of the city were buried following the Siege of Barcelona at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714. As part of El Born’s massive regeneration, it was regained as public space and now provides some handy public seating in the centre of the barrio and is great for people watching.

Every September 11^th on the National Day of Catalonia (or simply the ‘Diada’) political parties of all stripes (but predominantly Catalan nationalists) gather here in a flag waving ceremony to commemorate the day Barcelona fell. Whilst the celebration of a defeat (as opposed to a victory) may seem a strange even to visitors, it is a reminder of the Catalans’ strong spirit of self-determination.