Residents of Palamós approve name change to 'Palamós i Sant Joan'

The popular coastal town of Palamós, on the Costa Brava, is no longer officially just Palamós; it is now named Palamós i Sant Joan.

The town's 17,000 residents aged 16 and over were called to vote on Sunday on whether to change the municipality's name.

The proposal stems from a long-running campaign dating back to 1942, when the two towns of Palamós and Sant Joan were merged under the single name of Palamós.

The ballot asked: "Do you want the place name of the town of Palamós to incorporate the name Sant Joan, changing its name to Palamós i Sant Joan?"

More than 1,600 residents turned out to vote, with 54.4% in favour and 45.6% against.

Mayor Maria Puig described the result as "emotional," calling it "a long-running debate rooted in a historic grievance."

"We are a town made up of two towns that were merged in a context of non-democracy," she said.

This demand, the mayor added, has gradually "spread throughout the municipality" and ultimately gained support from all political parties in the town.

Carles Sala, president of the neighbourhood association, said the vote was the result of "many years of campaigning."

"In 1942, Sant Joan was annexed to Palamós and its name was institutionally forgotten, although we never lost it," he said.