Catalan National Day begins with traditional floral tributes

Institutions, political parties and civil society began the celebration of Catalonia’s National Day this morning with the traditional floral tributes at the Rafael Casanova monument in Barcelona. This year the commemoration is celebrated just 20 days before the October 1 referendum on self-determination.

The tributes are made at this exact spot every year, since it was here that Barcelona’s commander in chief, Casanova, was injured on September 11 1714 during the War of Spanish Succession. The patriot has become an icon of the Catalans and his monument is a place from which to demand the return of Catalan freedom and self-governance. 

Some of the first to pay their tribute was the Catalan Government, headed by President Carles Puigdemont. After that, the Parliament Bureau and its president Carme Forcadell laid flowers at the monument.

Earlier, both the Catalan police Mossos d’Esquadra and Barcelona’s local police paid their tributes.