Sant Ponç
By Carla Bustamante, Carla Gimeno, Lorena Pelarda

La Fira de Sant Ponç is a tradition celebrated in Barcelona every year. It takes place in the neighbourhood of Raval, where, year after year, on this day (11th May) natural products, medicinal herbs, candied fruits and honey are sold to commemorate Sant Ponç, the saint patron of the herbalists and bee-keepers. You will be able to find almost 100 little shops along El Carrer Hospital.

This festivity had its origins centuries ago and in the 16th century it was christianized and celebrated in Sant Ponç day. It was a custom that the herbalists sold herbs to the people in spring, because the popular medicine attributed to certain plants, gathered on this station of the year, curative properties. This custom started La Fira de Sant Ponç, which first was located in La Plaça de Sant Miquel, later in El Carrer de Sant Cugat, and finally near the church of L' Hospital de la Santa Creu.