Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | A | Arena Magazine

House of many springs: a former convent hospital in Barcelona becomes another point of light in the global social movement.

Article Excerpt
Can Mas Deu--meaning 'house of many springs' in Catalan--is an incredible squat on the outskirts of Barcelona, Empty for over fifty-three years some of the sections of the awesome sprawling building date from 1610. The valley has been a leper colony since Roman times and the building functioned as a hospital run by nuns from earlier last century. On the edge of a national park, fifteen minutes walk from the end of a train line, Can Mas Deu inhabits an interesting position between the city and the country. From its very outset it has been an international space and has hosted numerous convergences around a variety of projects grounding itself firmly in social movements.

As you walk up the hill from the end of the Canyelles train line the road turns from asphalt to gravel, and you pass under a hand-painted banner announcing a recent community planting day, you catch a glimpse of Can Mas Deu through the pines and gums. Even people who have been involved from the beginning, living through the chaos and dysfunction and trying times that come with any ambitious intentional community project, admit to experiencing the same heart flip-flop every time they make the ascent back to the space.

December 22, 2001 saw the building reclaimed. Under two months later, after frantic work on the space, it played host to the EYFA (European...

View this article FREE - Now for a Limited Time, try Goliath Business News
Free for 3 Days!