What lies beneath

Posted Tuesday, May 06, 2008, 10:35 PM by Lonely Planet

Every city has spaces that confront us with events of the past. Buildings, squares and monuments bear witness to people's struggles and their scars record significant episodes in history. They're the silent players in the city narrative.

It's easy to miss these often subtle references to the past. Take Barcelona's Plaza Sant Felip Neri. At first glance, it's a tranquil, unassuming square. With its shade and fountain, it's a romantic spot offering respite from the relentless buzz of La Rambla. Go in closer, though, and you'll get a glimpse of the stories preserved in its walls. The facade of the plaza's baroque church is pockmarked from the shrapnel of a bomb dropped during the Spanish Civil War. Forty-two people taking refuge inside were killed in the blast, most of them children. The plaza was also the site of civil-war executions. In some way, it serves as an unofficial memorial to the war's victims.

Tell us about the scarred places you've come across, places that tell you something of a city's history.

- Eli Arduca

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