“A cannon blast echoes in my ears.” I grip the cold stone of the Baluard de Migdia i Muralla de Mar. The year is 1714. Barcelona is under siege. I’m not a tourist, but Colonel Anton Paperoles. The Baluard de Migdia i Muralla de Mar is my command. My hundred men, hemp and lambs guard, stand ready. We defend against the Bourbon onslaught. This bastion, part of Barcelona’s sea wall since the 16th century, is now a critical point in the city’s defense. The Baluard de Migdia i Muralla de Mar, facing the sea, has always protected Barcelona from maritime threats. Now, it faces a new enemy. The morning of September 11th dawns. The Bourbon troops launch their final attack. The fighting is fierce. Our position is battered, but we hold. We pour fire onto the enemy. The nearby barracks explode under our cannonade. Catalan grenades fly through the air. The Bourbon advance falters, then retreats. We’ve repelled them. But the battle isn’t over. The Baluard de Migdia i Muralla de Mar endures wave after wave of attack. Each assault leaves more fallen comrades. I fight alongside my men, determined to hold this vital position. But the siege continues, and the fight for Barcelona, for the Baluard de Migdia i Muralla de Mar, reaches its tragic end. I fall, defending the very stones you now touch. Centuries later, the Baluard de Migdia i Muralla de Mar was rediscovered during construction work near França Station in 2006. Today, you see the remnants of this fierce struggle. Remember the courage of those who fought here, who gave their lives defending Barcelona, defending the Baluard de Migdia i Muralla de Mar.
Església Nostra Senyora de la Mercè
The Virgin’s gaze from the dome. A silent sentinel overlooking Barcelona. This is the Església Nostra Senyora de la Mercè.