Barcelona’s spurned bride
Barcelona is a beautiful port city located on the Mediterranean Sea in northeastern Spain and is the capital of the Spanish region of Catalonia. The Spanish metropolis, home to 1.6 million inhabitants, is also known as Gaudí City because of its buildings designed by architect and representative of the Catalan Modernisme movement, Antonio Gaudí. He also created Barcelona’s most famous landmark, the Sagrada Familia basilica. Barcelona is a cosmopolitan city where world-famous artists such as Picasso and Miró lived, whose works can be admired in the Picasso Museum and the Miró Museum. Barcelona is not only a city of architectural masterpieces, world-famous museums, and beautiful beaches, but also a city full of mystical places. One of these places is the Palau de la Virreina, a Baroque city palace located directly on the legendary La Rambla boulevard in the El Raval district, just a few minutes from the famous La Boqueria market hall. This Baroque palace was built between 1772 and 1778 for the former Viceroy of Peru, Manuel d’Amat, and is now used as an art and cultural center. To this day, the ghost of his wife is said to haunt the palace. It all began when, towards the end of the 18th century, María Francesca Fiveller de Clasquerí i de Bru became engaged to the nephew of the former viceroy. But he stood María up on her wedding day. To save the honor of the spurned bride, the 72-year-old viceroy of Peru himself stepped in as the groom and married the 24-year-old bride, whose only alternative would have been to enter a convent. After three years of marriage, her husband died on February 14, 1782. Since then, his wife, who was popularly given the name La Virreina, the vicereine, which was also transferred to the building, lived alone in the palace. On October 3, 1791, she fainted during a mass due to severe cramps and never regained consciousness. She died, and her spirit is said to wander the palace to this day. Such is the legend of the spurned bride.
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