The National day of Catalonia, known locally as La Diada, is remembered on September 11, the anniversary of Barcelona’s fall to Bourbon forces in 1714. Catalonia had refused to accept the Peace of Utrecht ending the War of Spanish Succession in 1713, fighting on for 14 months before succumbing to a siege in Barcelona on this date. The face of this resistance was Rafael Casanova, Barcelona’s mayor, who was seriously wounded during the final defense. Within a year, Catalonia had been disbanded as a political entity and merged into Spain; it would not achieve autonomy again until 1931.
La Diada emerged in 1886 as a grassroots, cultural, and religious movement, and by 1888 a bronze statue of Casanova by Rossend Nobas was erected, showing him moments after his injury. His right hand holds his sword, pointing to the ground so he can lean on it for support, refusing to fall. In his left hand he raises the standard of Saint Eulalia, co-patron saint of Barcelona, which points defiantly skyward, symbolizing that the survival of Catalonia will continue beyond any individual’s personal demise.
The event gained popularity over the years, notably in 1923 with massive attendance, participation by some institutions, and riots, resulting in injury and arrest, though no deaths. The Bourbon regime, in its final throes, banned La Diada thereafter. However, when the autonomous government of Catalonia was reinstated in 1931 as part of the Spanish Second Republic, the celebration revived. During the 30s, the tenor of the event became increasingly anti-Fascist.
The Franco government banned it again on his ascension in 1939 as part of a set of anti-Catalan policies, and removed the statue of Casanova. Clandestine celebrations continued in homes during his rule. La Diada was restored publicly in 1976 after Franco’s death, and in 1977 the statue of Casanova was put in place at the historical location where he fell. This time it was mounted on a pedestal showing two women representing the grief of Catalonia’s past and the resilience of its future, giving the overall site a feel of reflection and remembrance as well as defiance.
Floral offerings by institutions and individuals have always been a tradition of La Diada, so we visited the statue to take a respectful look. The weather was breezy and clear with temperatures in the middle 70s, and since this is a holiday throughout Catalonia, people were out enjoying it, many of them wearing one of the Catalonian flags. Although it memorializes a somber event, there is the celebratory aspect of Catalonia’s resurgence. A long row of vendors between the Arc de Triomf and the Parc de la Cietadella offered regional wares including high-end cheeses, olives, cured meats, T-shirts, books, and tchotchkes. The river at the Parc with filled with rowboats, and the benches and lawns dotted with people socializing al fresco.
While we were in the area, we stopped in Plaza de Tetuán to see the statue to Doctor Bartolmeu Robert, a professor of internal pathology at the University of Barcelona, BCN mayor, and Spanish Parliament member. The statue was erected near the university by 1910, removed by Franco in 1940, and restored in its new location in 1985. Interestingly, the sculptor for this statue is Josep Llimona, who also designed the pedestal for the Casanova statue.
To me, it seems the struggles of Catalonia for independence are very much in living memory, more so than are those of the United States–though that may be changing. At least some people here fear that these struggles have been forgotten, and that the threat of Fascism is rising. Certainly recent election results in the EU and UK seem to support the latter. Maybe the existence of La Diada will spark some younger citizens to wonder, Why do we have this day off anyway?, and to research the reason, and decide, well, one way or the other.