Collboni Leads City’s Diada Floral Offering
Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni led the city council’s floral tribute to Rafael Casanova on Thursday morning, as part of Catalonia’s National Day commemorations. The offering took place at 9:05 am at the monument on Ronda de Sant Pere, shortly after Catalan president Salvador Illa opened the ceremonies on behalf of the Generalitat. Casanova, the last conseller en cap of Barcelona, became a symbol of Catalan resistance after leading the city’s defence during the 1714 siege at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession. The floral tribute is an annual tradition marking the fall of Barcelona to Bourbon forces on 11 September 1714.
Institutional and Public Events Across Barcelona
The day’s events continue with open access to key institutions. The Parlament de Catalunya will be open to the public from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm without prior registration, allowing visitors to tour the hemicycle, committee rooms, and the ‘lost steps’. A popular culture showcase will run in front of the building from 11:00 am to 1:50 pm. The Palau de la Generalitat will also welcome the public between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm, though entry requires prior registration via Barcelona.cat. Visitors must present a confirmation QR code and ID.
The tribute was opened by Catalan president Salvador Illa, who, accompanied by his cabinet, laid flowers before the statue.
At 5:14 pm, two demonstration columns, 'Present' and 'Futur', will converge on Plaça de Catalunya. Organised by the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), Òmnium Cultural, and other pro-independence groups, the march marks the traditional independence mobilisation of La Diada. The official closing event begins at 8:00 pm at the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (TNC), celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first legal Diada celebration after the Franco dictatorship. The ceremony will also commemorate the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death and the 150th anniversaries of Pau Casals’ and Josep Irla’s births, with performances by Joan Dausà, Sopa de Cabra, and Andrea Motis.
Primary sources: ajuntament.barcelona.cat, barcelona.cat. Reported by democrata.es, catalannews.com, Catalan News, FC Barcelona, eldiario.es, metropoliabierta.elespanol.com, elnacional.cat.
