Plaça del Sol, Barcelona

Plaça del Sol is a lively square in Gràcia, known for a public life that has included markets, political unrest, music and neighbourhood celebrations. Its original name has endured, although people also called it Plaça dels Encants because Sunday street trading took place here from 1872 until the Civil War. The most distinctive object is the bronze sundial installed in 1987 by Gràcia sculptor Joaquim Camps i Giralt.

It has a hollow hemispherical form, encircled by figures representing the Western zodiac, with the signs also worked into its square base. The square itself measures 55 by 50 metres and is framed by buildings ranging from ground-level structures to houses of six storeys. This ground also carries a darker history.

During the Civil War, an air-raid shelter was built beneath the square, with a hall of about 750 square metres and a height of 3.5 metres. It was sealed after the war by the Franco authorities. For the Festa Major de Gràcia, a large marquee hosted dances and concerts here from at least 1907 to 1982.

In 1975, Raimon performed before thousands of people, but police intervention brought the event to an abrupt end. Since the 2010s, traditional music has returned through the Plaça del Folk festival.