National Day celebrations begin with institutional tribute to 1714 hero Rafael Casanova

Catalan Institutions, political parties, and civic organizations have opened the National Day celebrations on Friday morning with a tribute to Rafael Casanova, a key figure in the defense of Barcelona during the 1714 siege.

The tribute marked the beginning of a day filled with commemorative acts across Catalonia. The ceremony recalls the fall of Barcelona to Bourbon troops on September 11, 1714, during the War of the Spanish Succession. Since the late 19th century, Casanova has been celebrated as a symbol of Catalan rights and freedoms.

The gathering takes place at the very spot he was wounded on September 11, 1714, at at the intersection of Carrer Ali Bei and Ronda de Sant Pere.

The first to arrive, at 8am, were the Catalan police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, led by the Interior Minister Núria Parlon, followed by other emergency services.

Throughout the morning, floral offerings will be made by members of the government and the parliament bureau, the Barcelona City Council, various organizations, trade unions, and other political parties.

However, the pro-independence far-left CUP, the pro-independence far-right Aliança Catalana, the far-right pro-Spanish unity Vox, and the conservative pro-Spanish unity People's Party didn't take part.

Government spokesperson Sílvia Paneque championed a Catalonia "free of exclusions" as a "counterpoint" to a world that is currently "closing borders."

Speaking to reporters after the executive's traditional floral offering, Paneque also highlighted Catalonia's "capacity to forge alliances," contrasting this with the current climate of "confrontation and immediacy."

Echoing the sentiments expressed by Catalan president Salvador Illa, Paneque sought to convey a message of "fraternity and pride." "We are an open country, firmly democratic and committed to solidarity," she concluded.