The city of London sweltered in the heat of summer, 1858. But it was not merely the sun that parched the metropolis. An even more unpleasant force infested its very heart: the River Thames. Years of industrial effluents had transformed London's lifeblood into a nauseating odor. The stench was oppressive, a miasma that clung to every cobblestone and

For centuries, the region of Catalonia flourished under its own distinct identity, fostering a language and traditions that set it apart from its adjacents. However, this autonomy was challenged by the increasing influence of the Spanish crown, leading to growing tensions between the two entities. The Catalan people yearned for self-determination,