in ard ó ▁to ▁the ▁east . ▁A ▁v ibr ant ▁and ▁diverse ▁enc lave ▁of ▁Catal an ▁life , ▁Gr à cia ▁was ▁an ▁independent ▁municipality ▁for ▁centuries ▁before ▁being ▁formally ▁an nex ed ▁by ▁Barcelona ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁as ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁city ' s ▁expansion . ▁ ▁Ne igh bour hood s ▁ ▁The ▁district ▁of ▁Gr à cia ▁compr ises ▁five ▁neighbourhood s : ▁ ▁History ▁Gr à cia ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 6 2 6 , ▁by ▁a ▁Nov iti ate ▁of ▁Car mel ites , ▁who ▁established ▁a ▁convent ▁there , ▁called ▁" N ost ra ▁Sen y ora ▁de ▁Gr à cia ▁( O ur ▁Lady ▁of ▁Grace ) ". ▁Following ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Su cc ession , ▁Gr à cia ▁remained ▁an ▁independent ▁municipality ▁in ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁the ▁Ser ra ▁de ▁Coll ser ola ▁mountains ▁( n orth / n orth west ) ▁from ▁central ▁Barcelona . ▁P asse ig ▁de ▁Gr à cia , ▁the ▁street ▁which ▁is ▁today ▁home ▁to ▁the ▁most ▁high - end ▁international ▁fashion ▁br ands ▁and ▁pos h ▁hot els ▁( Bar cel ona ' s ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁Cham ps - É ly s ées ), ▁was ▁back ▁then ▁a ▁country ▁road ▁linking ▁the ▁town ▁to ▁the ▁larger ▁city , ▁through ▁the ▁plain ▁of ▁Barcelona . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 0 0 s , ▁Barcelona ▁was ▁rapidly ▁industri alis ing ▁and ▁significantly ▁expand ing ▁its ▁borders ▁from