The Mercé Festival

The main day of La Mercè is always 24 September, but the start and finish dates of the festival change from year to year.

La Mercè de Barcelona lasts 4 days and is a festival that takes place in honor of the Mare de Deu de la Mercè (Mother of God of Mercy), the patron saint of Barcelona.A multitude of activities will be organized across Barcelona, among them many Catalan traditions. The Mercè festival is an opportunity to dive headfirst into Catalan culture by participating in activities and events designed for all audiences.

The significance of the date is that according to a legend on 24 September, the Virgin simultaneously appeared to King James I of Aragon, Saint Peter Nolasco and Saint Raymond of Penyafort. This was during the Crusades. It’s told that she asked them to create an order of monks to save Christians imprisoned by Muslim Moors. Peter Nolesco founded the Order of Our Lady of Mercy in 1218 to negotiate war ransoms to free prisoners.

Later, during the Renaissance in 1687, a plague of locusts struck Barcelona. Being a very religious city at the time, it was officially decided to call on the help of the Virgin of Mercy to protect them. The plague eventually passed and calls were made for her to be a city patron. A request that wouldn’t be officially formalised until 1868.

It was after this date that the first official celebrations began in 1902 in the form we know them today. Since then the celebrations have been on and off depending on the year, for causes such as the Franco dictatorship. Today, they are now one of the most important celebrations of the city.

A significant event during this festival is the Correfoc (fire run), where a «dragon» with lots of fireworks attached to it strolls the streets of Barcelona, with Diables (or Devils) shooting off fireworks while menacing people that wish to watch. If you’re with a family, there is also a milder version for children and starts much earlier than the main Correfoc.