The El Born area of Barcelona is home to the Centre de Cultura i Memoria. The building was created on a site that was previously a fruit and vegetable market, opened in 1876 and the first cast iron market in the city. Sadly the market closed in 1971 and was unused for many years. Fast forward to 1994 and an archaeological excavation began, revealing traces of streets and houses from before 1714, when the city was sieged at the end of the war of Spanish Succession. The city surrendered to Philip V’s troops on September 11th that year, a date that is now Catalunya’s national day.

Some of the ancient streets that have been uncovered are on display in the cultural centre.

It was fascinating to see the roads and foundations of houses, imagining the lives of those who lived, worked and traded there.

This post is for Paula’s traces of the past, in colour this month.