The Catalan Valentine

It’s coming up to one of the most the most magical days in Barcelona. Locally, it’s simply known as ‘La Diada de Saint Jordi’, internationally as ‘International Book Day’ and casually as the ‘Catalan St. Valentine’s’. The truth is that all are pretty much correct. But first a bit of background.

Saint Jordi (or George) is the patron Saint of Catalunya and his designated Saint’s day is April 23rd. By a happy coincidence, this is also the day Shakespeare and Miguel Cervantes (writer of the classic Spanish epic Don Quixote) died.

A red rose, the symbol of the dragon-slayer’s bravery, has traditionally been given to girlfriends, mothers and female lovers on this day. But back in the 1920s, a local bookseller decided to get a bit of leverage out of the literary connection to the date, and soon women retaliated their gift of a rose with one of a book to their boyfriends/fathers/lovers.

Given all this activity, UNESCO then stepped in and declared April 23rd the ‘International Day of the Book’ though its certainly not celebrated with as much zeal anywhere as it is in Barcelona.
From early morning onwards, rose sellers set up stalls along the streets, washing them in vivid red colour, and the distinctive red and gold striped Catalan flag waves everywhere.

Booksellers also set up stalls, particularly along the Las Ramblas and the Passeig de Gràcia. Most of all, and particularly in the early evening, people just come out to enjoy their city, lovers to give each other their special gifts and whole families revelling in the warm, dappled light of Barcelona in the springtime.

Barcelona’s Outdoor Sculpture

Many visitors to Barcelona are struck by the quality and quantity of its outdoor sculpture. As you wander around, you may think that nearly every square, park or boulevard boasts a striking piece of artwork. And you are right.

As part of the regeneration process for the 1992 Olympic Games, Barcelona’s city council acquired a sizable collection of sculpture from local and international artists. It was part of the criteria of giving the city a much-needed facelift without causing major structural changes. And it worked! These bright, thought-provoking elements have become as much a feature of Barcelona’s urban landscape as its 19th century architecture.

Perhaps the most famous work of public art in the city is the ‘Barcelona Head’, a vivid, cartoon-like face by the late trailblazer of the Pop Art movement Roy Lichtenstein (it lives in front of Port Vell marina). In front of the Ciutadella Park, Antoni Tapiés, Catalunya’s greatest living artist, pays homage to Picasso with a thought-provoking composition of copper, glass and water.

Up in the park of Montjuïc, a group of girls performing the sardana (Catalunya’s national dance) have appeared in countless holiday snaps. Over on the Rambla del Raval, a rotund, copper cat by Columbian artist Fernando Botero has become a landmark and meeting place on this popular boulevard. Another piece of art that serves this purpose is Rebecca Horn’s ‘Homenaje a Barceloneta’. Consisting of four, stacked metal cubes, the work is inspired by the box- like chiringuitos (or beach bars) that used to line this part of the coast, and were bulldozed to make way for the sand that the sculpture now stands on.