'A rose by any other name...' in Spanish

If autographs aren't sufficient inducement, many buyers will be lured by discount prices. And street performances will be in abundance. Notable among the many plays, concerts, and lectures is a photographic exhibit, "Who's Who in Catalan Letters." To see it at the Palace Moja, just step off Las Ramblas at Carrer Portaferrissa.

To get a complete listing of the day's activities, check at Barcelona's main tourist office, which is downstairs in the southeast corner of Placa de Catalonia. It's also the place to register for walking tours that highlight the history and architecture of Picasso's old haunts, and the even older haunts of the Gothic Quarter.

If you prefer to be your own guide, buy a copy of "Walks Through Literary Barcelona," which is due out in April.

It's wise to save those walks for a day when the streets are not so full. Marta Balletebo-Col, a filmmaker and Catalan native, warns that on Sant Jordi's Day, "The crowds might make you dizzy, and it almost always rains."

Rain or shine, it's a short walk down the Avenue del Porta de L'Angel that begins at Placa de Catalonia. Along the way there's a delectable mix of cafes and chocolatiers.

This is a pace-yourself kind of day, so there's plenty of time to enjoy a stop to listen to a dark-haired youth, all fluid grace, as he plucks his harp. Stop by the blues guitarist who's staked out an alley, and don't bypass a barrel-chested tenor on the steps of the Archdeacon's House. He often moves his audience to tears.

From there it's two steps up into the chapel of Santa Lucia, then a turn around the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia, which dates to the 13th century. It's always soothing to visit the cloister with its chorusing geese.

The only time you should look at your watch is to be sure to arrive in the Placa Sant Jaume by early evening.

All the other music fades away as prosperous-looking matrons and dignified men greet each other in the historic square. Though the air is too perfumed with roses, they could be assembled in an elegant drawing room.

Instead, they are sandwiched between Barcelona's City Hall and the Palace of the Generalitat, a pleasing mix of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. For many years, Sant Jordi's Day was one of the rare chances to see the 15th-century rooms that house the Catalan government, but authorities have talked about changing that.

Fortunately, the most important traditions do not change. Under the watchful gaze of the statue of Sant Jordi, a small band, or cobla, climbs onto the temporary stage. The crowd quiets. It is time for the Sardana, the folk dance that defines Catalonia.

The first notes come from the flaviol, a tiny high-pitched flute. Then the brass begins. Finally the strings connect the haunting melody.

Spontaneously, men and women in the crowd join hands and form circles. They pile jackets, purses, and shopping bags in the center as the human circumference grows. Their step is light, deliberate, and utterly joyful. No one is a bystander here; those who do not dance begin to sing softly.

Beneath the music and movement, the oblong stones that rest where Barcelona's Roman forum once stood now join the past and present. Faces alight with pride and pleasure, the dancers move to left and right. They raise their hands high in homage to Sant Jordi and the proud people of Catalonia.

• For more information, see the websites www.anyllibre2005.gencat.net (in Spanish; click on "other languages, if necessary), www.spain.info/TourSpain/ home?language=en, and www.barcelona turisme.com (click on the English icon if needed); e-mail teltur@barcelona turisme.com or nuevayork@tourspain.es; or telephone (212) 265-8822.

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