L'ou com balla (Watch the egg dance)

Apart from the traditional interwoven flowers and flower carpets, the arrival of Corpus Christi is synonymous with the L’ou com balla (literally, “Watch the egg dance”). The eggs are emptied through a pin hole which is then stopped with wax. They are then placed at the top of a vertical fountain spout and, lo and behold, dance around without falling. The most famous and, according to the majority of documents, the first, is that of the fountain in the cloisters of the cathedral, which dates from the 16th century. This was repeated at a later date in the patio adjoining the Casa de l’Ardiaca, the main building of the Archiu Històric de la Ciudad and, from the 80s onwards, in other buildings throughout the city.
 

Such is the case with the Parròquia de la Puríssima Concepció, the Col·legi Escolapis de Llúria on the Eixample, the Museu Monastir de Pedralbes and the Parròquia de Sant Jeroni, in Montbau. In any case, the tradition focuses above all on the Ciutat Vella district, so it is very easy to devise a route that doesn’t stray too far from the cathedral and one could quite easily go from the Parròquia Major de Santa Anna –on the street of the same name-, to the Palau del Lloctinent, taking in the Pati del Museu Frederic Marès and the Real Acadèmia de les Bones Lletres. In addition, visitors to all these venues will find the fountains adorned with flowers and seasonal fruits.