Explore the real-world places that appear in The Time of the Doves by Mercè Rodoreda. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Plaça del Diamant, Carrer de Verdi, Park Güell, Mercat de la Llibertat, Torre del Rellotge and 4 more.
Gràcia neighborhood — Natalia's central square
This small square is the heart of Natalia's world, where she earns her nickname 'Colometa' (Little Dove) from Quimet at a neighborhood dance. The plaza witnesses her courtship, marriage preparations, and later becomes a place she passes through during her struggles as a war widow. The fountain and plane trees frame many of her memories.
Plaça del Diamant has been the social center of the Gràcia neighborhood since the 19th century. Originally called Plaça de la Revolució, it was renamed in 1927. The square has long hosted local festivals and gatherings.
The square features a bronze sculpture by Xavier Medina-Campeny honoring Rodoreda's novel, installed in 1994. Local cafés and shops surround the small plaza, and it remains a gathering place for Gràcia residents.
Visit: Plaça del Diamant (landmark)
Gràcia — Natalia and Quimet's street
Natalia and Quimet live in a small apartment on this narrow street. Here she endures Quimet's obsessions with pigeons, his political rants, and the domestic violence that marks their marriage. After Quimet disappears during the war, Natalia struggles alone here with their children, Rita and Antoni, facing near-starvation.
Carrer de Verdi, named after the Italian composer, developed in the late 19th century as Gràcia expanded. The street typifies the neighborhood's working-class housing of that era.
The street is now known for the Verdi cinema complex and numerous bars and restaurants. The old working-class apartments have been largely renovated or converted to serve the area's gentrified population.
Gràcia hills — Where Natalia seeks refuge
During her darkest moments of despair and hunger during the war, Natalia climbs to the hills above Gràcia, including areas near Park Güell. These heights offer her both literal and metaphorical perspective on her suffering, and she contemplates ending her life here but is stopped by thoughts of her children.
Designed by Antoni Gaudí between 1900-1914, Park Güell was originally intended as a housing development but became a public park in 1926. During the Spanish Civil War, it served as an anti-aircraft battery position.
Park Güell is one of Barcelona's most visited tourist attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The colorful mosaic benches and unique architecture draw millions of visitors annually.
Visit: Park Güell (park)
Gràcia — Local market where Natalia shops
Natalia frequents this local market, first as a young wife learning to manage a household, then during the war years when she desperately searches for any available food to feed her starving children. The market vendors become part of her community, witnessing her transformation from bride to war widow.
Built in 1888, the Mercat de la Llibertat was designed by architect Francesc Berenguer, a close collaborator of Gaudí. It has served as Gràcia's main food market for over a century.
The market still operates as a traditional neighborhood food market, selling fresh produce, meat, and fish to local residents. It maintains its 19th-century architectural charm while serving modern Barcelona.
Visit: Mercat de la Llibertat (market)
Gràcia town square — Community gathering place
The clock tower in Gràcia's main square serves as a landmark in Natalia's mental geography of her neighborhood. She passes it regularly, and it becomes a marker of time's passage through her years of marriage, war, widowhood, and eventual remarriage to Antoni.
Built in 1864, the Torre del Rellotge (Clock Tower) was constructed to celebrate Gràcia becoming an independent municipality. It stands 33 meters tall and has been the symbolic center of the neighborhood.
The tower remains the centerpiece of Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia, surrounded by cafés and serving as a meeting point. It's illuminated at night and continues to be Gràcia's most recognizable landmark.
Visit: Torre del Rellotge (monument)
Main commercial street of Gràcia
Natalia walks this main thoroughfare for errands and shopping, first as a newlywed setting up house, then during the desperate war years searching for work and necessities. The street represents both the normalcy she once knew and the harsh realities of wartime scarcity.
Carrer Gran de Gràcia has been the neighborhood's main commercial artery since Gràcia's development in the 19th century. It connected the village of Gràcia to Barcelona proper before the area was annexed in 1897.
The street remains a bustling commercial zone with shops, restaurants, and cafés. It maintains its role as Gràcia's main shopping street while serving both locals and tourists.
Barcelona landmark — Visible from Gràcia hills
Though not directly visited in the novel, the construction of Sagrada Família is part of the Barcelona skyline that Natalia would have seen from the heights of Gràcia. The ongoing construction represents the continuity of life and hope that persists even through war and personal tragedy.
Construction began in 1882 under architect Antoni Gaudí, who took over the project in 1883. Work continued throughout the Spanish Civil War period, though at a reduced pace due to the conflict.
The Sagrada Família remains under construction and is Barcelona's most famous landmark. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 and receives millions of visitors annually.
Visit: Basílica de la Sagrada Família (monument)
Historic center of Gràcia
This central square represents the civic heart of Natalia's world in Gràcia. She passes through during various life stages, from her early married years through the war period and into her eventual recovery and remarriage. The square witnesses the community's collective struggles and celebrations.
This square has been the administrative and social center of Gràcia since the neighborhood's development as an independent municipality in the 19th century. It housed the town hall and main civic institutions.
The square remains the heart of Gràcia, surrounded by cafés, shops, and restaurants. It hosts festivals and community events, maintaining its role as the neighborhood's social center.
Visit: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia (landmark)
Residential street in Gràcia
One of the typical residential streets where Natalia's daily life unfolds, representing the intimate scale of neighborhood life in Gràcia. These narrow streets contain the small dramas of her relationships with neighbors, shopkeepers, and other women struggling through the same hardships of war and poverty.
Named after the Carlist supporters, this street developed in the late 19th century as part of Gràcia's expansion. It represents the typical working-class housing of the era.
The street has been gentrified like much of Gràcia, with many of the original working-class apartments converted or renovated to serve Barcelona's modern residents and tourists.
More by Mercè Rodoreda: Death in Spring locations map · All Mercè Rodoreda books
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