Spain. A nation of rich history and an empire with influence around the globe. When I said “Spain,” what did you think of? For most, it’s the cities of Madrid, Zaragoza and Barcelona. This past summer, I was fortunate enough to experience all three. While I was in Barcelona, I visited a place I had never heard of before–hidden away in the northeast of Spain lies a beautiful region named Catalonia.
Catalonia is now classified as a single region of Spain, but this was not always the case. Spain itself is a collection of states that weren’t brought together until 1492. In comparison, Catalonia has been its own organized nation since the 1100s. The history of Catalonia and Spain is complex, including a number of wars, marriages between royal families and various questionable governments. The union of Catalonia and Spain came in 1469 when Isabella I of Castile was wed to Ferdinand III of Aragon, bringing several states from Aragon into the kingdom. Still, Catalonia remained independent–but only to a small extent.
From the 18th to the 20th centuries, suppression of Catalán culture was strong and relentless. Catalán political institutions were banned, movements to erase the Catalán language swept the country, and massive cultural erasure began alongside the emergence of a new tyranny. The Spanish dictator, Francisco Franco, effectively outlawed Catalán customs, dances, foods, language and all other aspects of its culture, forcing the Catalán people to convert their customs into Spanish equivalents. But the people of Catalonia persisted; when Franco’s rule came to an end, their autonomy was largely restored. The Cataláns created their own government, the Generalitat.
Even under their own government, the Catalonians were still under Spanish rule. During October of 2017, the Catalán government voted to secede from Spain and declared independence. This was the procés: a dramatic push for independence. Unfortunately for the Cataláns, the Spanish military held powers 10 times their strength, and their people fell to extreme brutality, conviction and exile. Though the movement failed, instances of repression had not been lost on the people of Catalonia. Tensions are still present throughout Catalonia and notably in Barcelona.
Our plane landed in Barcelona at around 3 p.m. We left the United States early in the morning, but with layovers and a combined eight hours in flight, we started our trip on a sunny, mid-afternoon. I was visiting Spain for a week at the end of June with a cohort of 25 classmates from my school. The immediate group I travelled with was eight of my friends (including my little brother). We went everywhere together, from food stands, stores, monuments and more. The days were relatively structured, typically doing an excursion as a large group in the morning and then freedom to explore for the rest of the day.
On the second day, we took a bus to the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. This region of the city features the remains of an old Roman city, a medieval style based on the Gothic era and a transformative period of architectural innovations. We explored cathedrals, roamed the streets and did a scavenger hunt looking for different architectural signatures. My favorite was the statue of Saint Eulalia. She has a tragic story, fighting for her Christian faith during Roman persecution before passing from torture. Though her final experience was violence, she represents youth, faith and justice.
After exploring the Gothic Quarter, my group split off and headed towards La Plaça de Sant Jaume, a large open plaza nearby home to many Cataláns. The primary government office of Catalonia is in La Plaça, named La Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya.
Walking around La Plaça de Sant Jaume was a surreal experience. People were dancing, singing and talking in the streets. Catalán is the language of Catalonia– while similar to Spanish, it is noticeably different in verbiage and pronunciation. The most interesting observation however, was the subtle hints of underlying tension. Through the singing, dancing and talking, we noticed a lack of Spanish flags, graffiti with Catalán words spelling out rebellious phrases, posters and fliers against the nation and more. When listening to a local tour guide, they spoke about the “procés” in 2017, and how locals are still pushing to secede from Spain. While tensions are drastically different than they have been in past decades, there is still a clear separation between Spain, the nation and Catalonia, the region.
After leaving the Gothic Quarter, we found a little pop-up restaurant to grab lunch and end our excursion to both Barcelona and Catalonia. There, I ordered paella, a Valencian dish showcasing the diversity of the region. It was a fantastic end to our visit, and a final reminder of how lucky we were to travel to a beautiful area, eat delicious food and share what I learned about the Catalan people.
Exploring this part of Catalonia changed my mindset for the rest of my trip. As we left from lunch, I kept thinking about the Catalán people. Before coming to Spain, I had never heard of Catalonia. I didn’t know there was an entire language fighting effacement, or that there was an entire society of people trying to push back against the erasure of their culture. Revolutions and independence movements can feel like ancient history when you’re reading about them in a textbook. But they’re not. There are people in Catalonia today, in another country tomorrow and all around the world every day fighting for the simple right to exist. Whether that means existing physically or culturally, every person deserves the space where they came from.
Here at the Drew Acorn, we prioritize hearing student voices. Whether that student is a year six graduate student or a first semester freshman, we value the input all students have to give. This includes students at other universities. This article was sent in by a student at Northeastern University, and we have decided that it was important to publish the message being shared.
Drew University, like many colleges, values what travel can do for education, especially when current society promotes ignorance and hate towards communities different from your own. If you find yourself traveling abroad, for vacation, for class or for work, please take the time to learn about the ground you are standing on, what has that community seen and been through and how can you be a respectful guest.
Isabella Sarcomo is a First Year at Northeastern University who is majoring in behavioral neuroscience and minoring in Latinx, Latin American and Caribbean studies.