) , type = National day , longtype = National day , significance = Commemorates the fall of

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 c ...

during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714. , image = Rafael Casanova 11 Setembre.jpg , caption = Floral offerings to the monument of

Rafael Casanova Rafael Casanova i Comes (; 1660 – 2 May 1743) was a Catalan jurist and supporter of Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor as a claimant to the Crown of Spain during the War of the Spanish succession. He became mayor of Barcelona and commander in chief ...

, one of the commanders of the Catalan army during the Siege of Barcelona in Barcelona, 2005 , official_name = ''Diada Nacional de Catalunya'' , nickname = ''Diada, Onze de Setembre'' , observedby =

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the no ...

(Spain) , duration = 1 day , frequency = annual , date = 11 September , celebrations = Flag hoisting, floral offerings, singing patriotic songs and ''

Els Segadors "Els Segadors" (, ; "The Reapers") is the official national anthem of Catalonia, Nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain. History The original song dates in the oral t ...

'', speeches, demonstrations, entertainment and cultural programs , observances = , relatedto = The National Day of Catalonia ( ca, Diada Nacional de Catalunya , es, Día Nacional de Cataluña) is a day-long festival in

and one of its official

national symbols A national symbol is a symbol of any entity considering and manifesting itself to the world as a national community: the sovereign states but also nations and countries in a state of colonial or other dependence, federal integration, or even an e ...

, celebrated annually on 11 September. It commemorates the

fall Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southe ...

during the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phil ...

in 1714 and the subsequent loss of Catalan institutions and laws.

History

The

Army of Catalonia An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

that initially fought in support of the Habsburg dynasty's claim to the Spanish throne was finally defeated at the Siege of Barcelona by the armies of the Bourbon king

Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724, and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign of 45 years is the longest in the history of the Spanish mo ...

on 11 September 1714 after 14 months of siege. That meant the loss of the Catalan constitutions and the institutional system of the

Principality of Catalonia The Principality of Catalonia ( ca, Principat de Catalunya, la, Principatus Cathaloniæ, oc, Principat de Catalonha, es, Principado de Cataluña) was a medieval and early modern state in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula. During most of it ...

under the aegis of the

Nueva Planta decrees The Nueva Planta decrees ( es, link=no, Decretos de Nueva Planta, ca, Decrets de Nova Planta, en, link=no, "Decrees of the New Plant") were a number of decrees signed between 1707 and 1716 by Philip V, the first Bourbon King of Spain, durin ...

, and the imposition of

absolutism Absolutism may refer to: Government * Absolute monarchy, in which a monarch rules free of laws or legally organized opposition * Absolutism (European history), period c. 1610 – c. 1789 in Europe ** Enlightened absolutism, influenced by the En ...

. The holiday was first celebrated on 11 September 1886. In 1888, coinciding with the inauguration of the Barcelona Universal Exposition, a statue in honor of

was set up, which would become the point of reference of the events of the Diada. The celebration gained popularity over the following years; the Diada of 1923 was a great mass event, with more than a thousand floral offerings, acts throughout Catalonia and a certain institutional participation. But the demonstrations caused 17 wounded, five policemen and 12 protesters, and several arrests. The dictatorship of

Primo de Rivera Primo de Rivera is a Spanish family prominent in politics of the 19th and 20th centuries: *Fernando Primo de Rivera (1831–1921), Spanish politician and soldier *Miguel Primo de Rivera (1870–1930), nephew of Fernando, military officer and dictat ...

banned the celebration. During the

Second Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931, after the deposition of King Alfonso XIII, and was dissolved on 1 ...

(1931–1939), the

Generalitat de Catalunya The Generalitat de Catalunya (; oc, label= Aranese, Generalitat de Catalonha; es, Generalidad de Cataluña), or the Government of Catalonia, is the institutional system by which Catalonia politically organizes its self-government. It is formed ...

(the autonomous government of Catalonia) institutionalized the celebration. It was suppressed by the

Francoist dictatorship Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spa ...

in 1939, and relegated to the family and private sphere, but continued to be celebrated clandestinely. The monument of Rafael Casanova was removed. Since 1940 the

National Front of Catalonia The National Front of Catalonia ( Catalan: ''Front Nacional de Catalunya'', FNC) was a Catalan separatist party which was active between 1940 and 1990. The FNC was created in 1940 by former members of the Estat Català and the Catalan National ...

took advantage of the day to carry out some propaganda actions: distribution of

anti-fascist Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers wer ...

leaflets, clandestine hanging of senyeres, etc. It was celebrated again publicly for the first time on 11 September 1976, one year after the death of Francisco Franco, and it was followed by a huge demonstration in Barcelona demanding the restitution of Catalan autonomy the next year, on 11 September 1977, in which the Casanova's statue was repositioned in its place, and the celebration was reinstated officially in 1980 by the Generalitat de Catalunya, upon its restoration after the Francoist State, becoming the first law approved by the also restored

Parliament of Catalonia The Parliament of Catalonia ( ca, Parlament de Catalunya, ; es, Parlamento de Cataluña; oc, Parlament de Catalonha) is the unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain. The Parliament is currently made up of 135 m ...

."Onze de Setembre"
, in: ''

Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana The ''Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana'' (in English: the ''Great Catalan Encyclopedia'') is a Catalan-language encyclopedia, started in fascicles, and published in 1968 by . The soul of the work was written by Max Cahner, and the first director wa ...

'' (online)

Celebrations

Nationalist organizations, political parties and institutions traditionally lay floral offerings at monuments of those who led the defence of the city such as

and

General Moragues Josep Moragues i Mas (; Sant Hilari Sacalm, 1669 - Barcelona, 1715) was a Catalan general during the War of the Spanish Succession. He fought on the Archduke Charles' side. After Barcelona was defeated on 11 September 1714, he tried to sail to ...

, marking their stand against the king

. Typically, Catalan independentists organize demonstrations and meet at the

Fossar de les Moreres The Fossar de les Moreres (, literally "Grave of the Mulberries") is a memorial square in Barcelona ( Catalonia, Spain), adjacent to the basilica of Santa Maria del Mar. The plaza was built over a cemetery where defenders of the city were b ...

in Barcelona, where they pay homage to the defenders of city who died during the siege and were buried there. Throughout the day, there are patriotic demonstrations and cultural events in many Catalan villages and many citizens wave senyeres and estelades. The event has become more explicitly political and particularly focused on independence rallies in the 2010s.

Gallery

File:Fossardelesmoreres3.jpg,

, general view File:Generlidad Cataluña Ayuntamiento Barcelona Rafael Casanova.jpg, Francesc Macià, first president of the restored Generalitat, at the homage to Rafael Casanova during the National Day of 1931 File:2012 Catalan independence protest (6).JPG, Balconies showing a great number of senyeres, 2012 File:Imatges oficials Diada Nacional de Catalunya 2013 gencat (10).jpg, Floral offerings to the monument of Rafael Casanova by President of Catalonia, Artur Mas, in 2013. On the right, ''

Mossos d'Esquadra The ''Mossos d'Esquadra'' (; en, Squad), also known as the ''Policia de la Generalitat de Catalunya'' and informally as ''Mossos'', is the autonomous police force responsible for law enforcement in Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia. ...

'' in gala dresses File:Via Lliure 2015 a la Meridiana. Fotos de Toniher - 11s2015 50.jpg, Independentist demonstration during the Diada of 2015

References

External links

Official website of the National Day of Catalonia

Documents about ''the case of the catalans''
dated on 1714, at the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...

, UK. * Journal of the House of Lords: volume 19, 2 August 1715, ''Further Articles of Impeachment against E. Oxford brought from H.C.'
Article VI
{{Catalonia topics, state=expanded History of Catalonia

National days September observances Public holidays in Spain Autumn events in Spain Catalan nationalism

History

Celebrations

Gallery

See also

References

External links