When a loved one dies, in addition to facing the loss, we must make decisions about which we often lack sufficient information. What options and rights do we have when preparing a funeral? If death is the only inevitable and universal fact, why don't we have this sovereignty? "Death used to be part of everyday life. You used to see obituaries on the street, and now it no longer occupies a public space. Because it's taboo, we've lost all knowledge, and a distancing has occurred," points out Alba Calvo, from the Som Provisionals cooperative, which advocates precisely for this pairing of sovereignty and death. Núria Puigdevall, another of its members, attributes it to urgency. "Death is seen as a problem for capitalism because it's an unproductive situation," and therefore, "the faster it happens, the sooner we can go back to work." They argue that, nevertheless, we can adapt by taking care of the moment of dying, and this involves making prior plans and including death within life. So, beyond cremation or burial, what can we decide and what can't we?

Though it may not seem so, those who are no longer with us are still present, every single day. We notice how traits of their character become ingrained in our own personalities or appear in those of our children, which is even more profoundly unsettling. Not to mention the shock we experience the day the image reflected back at us in the mirror seems all too familiar, and a friend confirms it by saying in a low voice, impressed as if they'd seen a shadow pass by, "You look just like your father..."

Selling chestnuts on the streets of Barcelona is an ancient tradition. By the end of the 18th century, there were over two hundred stalls in the city. Although they are not as numerous now, the tradition continues, and every autumn the city's streets and squares are filled with the warm aroma of chestnuts slowly roasting over an open fire (with more and more pedestrians in short sleeves each year). To make your search for chestnuts and sweet potatoes easier, we offer you a map of the 65 stalls in 2025.