Josep Abril i Virgili (1869-1918) was a self-taught

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

poet and playwright. He specialized in the production of works with easily understood and popular moral lessons, which were publicised through Roman Catholic organizations.

Publications

Abril i Virgili collaborated in the production of several publications such as ''La Barretina'', ''La Creu de Montseny'' (The Cross of Montseny), ''Lo Pensament Català'' (Catalan Thought), '' Cu-Cut!'' and ''Bon Seny'' (Good Sense), among others. ''Bon Seny'' was a book on ancestral Catalan wisdom (the famous ''

seny ''Seny'' (; from Proto-Germanic *sinnaz) is a form of ancestral Catalan wisdom or sensibleness. It involves well-pondered perception of situations, level-headedness, awareness, integrity, and right action. More specifically, a ''National Geogr ...

''), encouraged by

Josep Torras i Bages Josep Torras i Bages (), born at Les Cabanyes, Alt Penedès, on 12 September 1846, died at Vic, Osona, on 7 February 1916, was a Catalan thinker, writer, and bishop. He was one of the main figures in the turn of the 20th century Catholic Catalan ...

, the respected Catalan writer and

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Vic Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense): ...

. Illustrated by

Joan Junceda Joan Junceda, full name Joan García Junceda i Supervia (1881 in Barcelona – 1948 in Blanes), was one of the most important Catalan artists and illustrators in the first half of the 20th century. His father was from Asturian origin. Junced ...

(1881-1948), it contains

aphorism An aphorism (from Greek ἀφορισμός: ''aphorismos'', denoting 'delimitation', 'distinction', and 'definition') is a concise, terse, laconic, or memorable expression of a general truth or principle. Aphorisms are often handed down by tra ...

fable Fable is a literary genre: a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, legendary creatures, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature that are anthropomorphized, and that illustrates or leads to a particular mo ...

s and local humorous sayings (acudits) based on traditional

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

principles. First published in Catalan before the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

, a limited edition was reprinted in 1959. It became a rare collector's item during

General Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War and thereafter ruled over Spain from 193 ...

's dictatorship when publications in the Catalan language were severely restricted. Nine years after Franco's death it was reprinted by a Roman Catholic publishing house in

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

Plays

As a playwright, Josep Abril i Virgili is the author of several morality plays that were performed mainly in Catholic associations. Notable among these are ''Furor pessebrista'' (1897), the prose monologue ''L’Home roig'' (The Red Man, 1913), the

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

of manners ''La mort de l’avi'' (The Death of the Grandfather, 1898), the almost humoristic dialogue ''D'extrem a extrem'' (1896), and the dramas ''Lo roure centenari'' (The Centennial Oak, 1897), ''El castell de Montsoliu'' (The castle of Montsoliu, 1898), ''Cadena del captiu'' (Chain of the Captive, 1900), ''Iselda'' (1901), and ''Cami del vici'' (The Road of Vice, 1912), as well as ''L’hostal de la Serena'', which was included in the collection ''Lectura popular'' (Popular Readings).Diccionari de la Literatura Catalana, 2008

References

External links

Museu Arxiu de Santa Maria
Centre d'Estudis Locals de

Mataró Mataró () is the capital and largest town of the ''comarca'' of the Maresme, in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia Autonomous Community, Spain. It is located on the Costa del Maresme, to the south of Costa Brava, between Cabrera de Mar and Sa ...

(Archives) {{DEFAULTSORT:Abril Catalan dramatists and playwrights Aphorists 1918 deaths 1869 births Place of birth missing