The church of La Mercè is dear to the heart of the people of Barcelona. Our Lady of Mercy (La Mercè) is the city's patron saint; she earned the privilege after supposedly warding off a plague of locusts in 1637. Thus the city's main fiesta (Sept 24) is named in her honor and many Barcelona-born females are called Mercè (among males there is an abundance of Jordis -- or George -- Catalonia's patron saint). The church itself is the only one in the city with a baroque facade. Perched on top is a statue of the lady La Mercè, a key feature of the city's skyline. The edifice resides on an elegant square with a central fountain of Neptune.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Barcelona, 3rd Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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