PROF: NISTOR STELIAN

STUDENT: LAZA GEORGIANA-VIORELA

CONTENT
I. INTRODUCTION
II. WHAT IS CATALONIA?
III. HISTORY
IV. GEOGRAPHY
V. CULTURE AND ART
VI. TRADITION
VII.TOURISM
VIII.GASTRONOMY
IX. ADVENTURE PARKS
X. NATURAL PARKS
XI. BIBLIOGRAPHY
I. INTRODUCTION
Is distinguished of most other Spanish regions in several aspects,
not at least by their languages, Catalonian and Aranese, although
everybody speaks and understands Spanish perfectly.
Everywhere you will combine the beauty of nature or monuments
with modern attractions a main reasons why Catalonia developed
into one of the preferred touristical destinations.
The official flag of Catalonia is yellow with four red bars the
version of this legend explain that Guifre el Pelos, drew the bars
during the conquest, a war drawing them in a golden shield.
It has been and is an important maritime region, though
subordinate to the Crown of Aragon when it was at the height of
its influence. Nowadays, it is one of the more prosperous regions
of Span and has far greater influence in Spanish and European
affairs than you would expect for its size or its population.
II. WHAT IS CATALONIA?
 The capital city is Barcelona, Catalonia is divided into four provinces: Barcelona,
Girona, Lleida and Tarragona. Its territory corresponds to most of the historical
territory of the former Principality of Catalonia.
 Is an Autonomus Community in the northeast part of Spain, It is borders
by France and Andorra to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the east, the
autonomous community of Valencia to the south, and the autonomous
community of Aragon to the west. The Pyrenees separate Catalonia from France,
and to the west the pre-Pyrenees and the Ebro River basin mark the border with
Aragon. To the southwest the Ebro basin gives way to coastal hills separating the
Catalonian province of Tarragona from the Valencian province of Castellón. The
autonomous community of Catalonia was established by the statute
of autonomy of December 18, 1979. The government consists of a Generalitat
(an executive council headed by a president) and a unicameral parliament.
III. HISTORY
 The Catalans have always had their own language, It doesn’t have its roots in Spanish, as does Portuguese
or Galacian, which is spoken in northwestern Spain. But different from the Galacian and Basque language,
Catalan has for centuries been a prestigious and cultural language. The oldest writings date back to the 12th
Century. Since that date there have always been prominent authors in the Catalan language.
 Far removed from the scene of the secular struggle with the Moor, and dwelling on the marge of the sea
which was the principal commercial arena of the ancient and mediaeval world, the people of Catalonia had
from a very remote period opportunities for development denied to the inhabitants of every other part of
Spain. The Moors were expelled from Barcelona at the beginning of the ninth century, Catalonia had thus a
start of more than four centuries over Seville, and of six over Malaga to say nothing further of the
incontestable advantages of her geographical position.
 The Generalitat is the popular name for the "Deputació del General de Catalunya" which literally translates
as the General Council of Catalonia. It is a political body that has been in existence since the Late Middle
Ages and was essentially a governing structure under the Catalan Corts, or parliament. This parliamentary
assembly representing the entire country had emerged from an agreement between the main political actors
of the time. The arrangement is considered to be not only the first, but also one of the most democratic and
pluralistic institutions in Europe.
 The formation of the General Council was the result of a gradual historical process that
spanned eighty years from the end of the 13th century to the late 14th century. In 1283,
the Court of Barcelona, presided by King Peter the Great, formalised a deal-making
system which prohibited the sovereign from promulgating constitutions or levying
general taxes without the authorisation of the three estates military, ecclesiastical and
noble in the Courts. At each session, parliamentary negotiations between the monarch
and the representatives of the estates of society would conclude with the approval of
new legislation on the administration of land, redress of grievances and compensatory
donations to the monarch.
 By the late Middle Ages, the kingdoms of Catalonia, Aragon, and Valencia had joined
together in a federation, forging one of the most advanced constitutional systems of the
time in Europe. After the union of the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile in 1479, the
Spanish crown maintained a loose administrative hold over its component realms.
Catalonia was the heart of the Kingdom of Aragon, which was united to the rest of
Spain (Castile) by the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile. Even
though the couple "officially" ruled Spain "jointly," they were actually ruled separately
by the two rulers and their respective staffs.
 In 1593, the king unilaterally suspended an important part of the agreements made by the 1585 Cort, and
from that moment on, a period of conflicts began, that were intermittent but increasingly serious, between
the Catalan institutions holding to the agreed regime, and an internationally established monarchy with an
imperial outlook, which not only nursed a tendency towards the exercise of absolute power and the
equalising of the regimes of the different States of the Crown, but also continual and very serious military
commitments on various fronts. As a consequence, the monarchs of the first half of the 17th century put
intense pressure on the Generalitat, in a context of social crisis that would continue to deepen.
 Catalan Republic, also known as the Catalan State (Estat Català), has been proclaimed four times:
 1641, by Pau Claris.
 1873, by Baldomer Lostau as the "Catalan State"
 1931, by Francesc Macià as the "Catalan Republic within the Iberian Federation"
 1934, by Lluís Companys as the "Catalan State within the Spanish Federal Republic"
 Of these four proclamations, the first (1641) was performed with the objective to establish the complete
independence and others (1873, 1931 and 1934) to establish the sovereignty of Catalonia within an Iberian
or Spanish Federal Republic. Although Madrid occasionally tried to assert more centralized control, in the
case of Catalonia its efforts generally resulted in failure. Nonetheless, attempts by Catalans in the
seventeenth century to declare their independence were likewise unsuccessful.
 The Diputació had with France the Pact of Ceret on September 7, 1640, for which Catalonia was to receive
military support, would separate from the Hispanic Monarchy and would be constituted as a free republic
under the protection of the French king. Pau Claris convened the General Assembly of Arms, who was
elected to the governing institution of the new situation, made official the commitments with France and the
secession and issued public debt to finance the military expenses. The victorious advance of the Castilian
troops by Cambrils and Tarragona caused that the Board yielded to the French pressures and proclaimed
Luis XIII count of Barcelona 23 of January of 1641, three days before Batalla de Montjuïc, that stopped the
attack on Barcelona.
 Although the Péronne pact of 19 September 1641 respected constitutions and pactism, Abuses
on the Catalan population and their institutions not only did not diminish, but they increased
dramatically over the years of French rule, while war extended over the Catalan territories,
until the weakness caused by the minority Luis XIV's age and the institutional split of the
Provincial Council facilitated the successes of the Castilian offensive of 1651-1652, led by
Joan Josep of Austria, who entered Barcelona. The war continued until the Treaty of the
Pyrenees of 1659 sanctioned the annexation to France of Roussillon, Conflent, Vallespir and
part of Cerdanya.
 In the War of the Spanish Succession, Catalonia sided with the English against the Spanish
crown, and the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 opened the way for the conquest of
Catalonia by Spanish troops. In September 1714, after a long siege, Barcelona fell, and
Catalonia's formal constitutional independence came to an end.
 The Catalans held a special status within the Spanish kingdom. The Catalan nobility feared
losing these privileges and fought on the side of the ruling Habsburgs. But it was not about
independence. Nevertheless, the Catalans have since 1980 celebrated September 11 - the day
the Catalans, in 1714, finally came under Bourbon rule - as their "National holiday". Whether
the term nation ever applied to Catalonia is something many doubt.
 During the latter half of the nineteenth century, Catalonia experienced a dramatic resurgence
as the focal point of Spain's industrial revolution. There were also a cultural renaissance and a
renewed emphasis on the Catalan language as the key to Catalan cultural distinctiveness.
Catalan nationalism was put forward by the nascent Catalan bourgeoisie as a solution that
coupled political and cultural autonomy with economic integration in the Spanish market. For
a brief period during the 1930s, the freedom of the Second Republic gave the Catalans a taste
of political autonomy, but the door was shut for forty years by the Franco dictatorship.
 In 1936 George Orwell went to Spain to report on the Civil War and instead joined the fight
against the Fascists. This famous account describes the war and Orwell’s experiences. When
Orwell arrived in Barcelona, the Anarchists were still virtually in control of Catalonia. He
joined a unit of the P.O.U.M. (Workers Party of Marxist Unification - a small group of anti-
Stalinists).
 The Anarchists were still in virtual control of Catalonia and the revolution was still in full
swing. To anyone who had been there since the beginning it probably seemed even in
December or January that the revolutionary period was ending; but when one came straight
from England the aspect of Barcelona was something startling and overwhelming. It was the
first time that I had ever been in a town where the working class was in the saddle.
 In 1938 the outcome of the Spanish Civil War was becoming clear. On April 5 in the city of Burgos,
General Franco signed a decree abolishing the Government of Catalonia and declared that “the state
shall regain the powers of legislation and enforcement that correspond to it in the common-law
territories and the services that were transferred to the region of Catalonia”. The military occupation
of Catalonia was completed in early 1939. The Government of Catalonia was abolished, its assets
were seized and the Provincial Councils were re-established, with the offices of the Barcelona
Provincial Council set up in the Palace at Plaça Sant Jaume. Thus began a period of deprivation of
democracy and Catalan national rights, which lasted until the death of the dictator on 20 November
1975.
 The top officials of the Government of Catalonia and the Spanish Republic were forced into exile.
President Lluís Companys took refuge in France, but when France was occupied by the Germans
during World War II he was arrested by the Nazis and turned over to Franco’s police. The President
of the Government was taken to Madrid and later to Barcelona. He was summarily court-martialled
and executed by a firing squad at the Castle of Montjuïc on 15 October 1940.
 Josep Irla, the President of the Parliament of Catalonia elected in 1938, temporarily assumed the
post of President of the Government in exile. In 1945, he formed a government that consisted of
well-known figures but was understandably inoperative. After Irla’s resignation in 1954, a group of
former members of the Catalan Parliament met at the Spanish Embassy in Mexico, which was
maintained by republican officials because the Mexican government had not recognised Franco’s
regime. The group decided to maintain the continuity of the institution and elected Josep Tarradellas,
who had been the First Minister and Minister of Finance in 1937, to the post of President of the
Government of Catalonia. President Tarradellas, who lived in France, was recognised as the
guardian of the legal continuity of the Government by Catalan political forces. During the final
stages of Franco’s dictatorship, he established contact with the new leaders who had emerged inside
Catalonia.
 The Assembly of Catalan Members of Parliament created a commission of
experts that drafted a Statute of Autonomy. This “Commission of Twenty”
met at the government-owned hotel in Sau and produced a text that was
accepted by the Assembly of Members of Parliament on 16 December
1978, was discussed and approved by the constitutional commission of the
Spanish Parliament on 13 August 1979, and was approved by referendum
on 25 October of the same year. On 18 December 1979, the Statute of
Autonomy of Catalonia was sanctioned by King Juan Carlos I. The first
autonomous elections were held on 20 March 1980. The Parliament
convened on 10 April and elected Heribert Barrera as President of
Parliament. Jordi Pujol, the leader of the political force that received the
most votes, was elected as the 126th President in the history of the
Government of Catalonia.
IV. GEOGRAPHY
 The geography of Catalonia is divided in three parts: the mountains,
the interior and the coast.
 Mountains: To the north the Pyrenees offer year-round sport facilities
for skiers, and hikers, skirting crystal clear lakes and mountain ranges,
such as the extinct volcanic parklands around Olot, and further south,
the stone spires of legendary Montserrar a mountain range so unique it
has been declared a conservation area by UNESCO.
 Interior: the mountains give way to Catalonia’s fertile interior with
hillsides of vineyards and fields interrupted by ridges.
 Coast: the southwest, the land becomes flatter and more arid,
irrigations from the Ebro river this sun-baked region produces excellent
wine, olive oil and fruits. The most important beaches are the Costa
Brava, Costa Daurada (Golden Coast).
 Catalonia is excellent and along with the land’s topographical diversity
one should keep in mind that cultural traditions, architecture, as well as
gastronomy, differ from region to region.
V. CULTURE AND ART
 Catalonia has an original and interesting past as far as it concerns to
culture, however the present isprobably one of the most active periods in
history. During centuries, Catalonia has been the gate to cultural
manifestations for the whole Iberian Peninsula.
 From the Romanesque pintures trough the years our culture is very rich,
and we stress someone’s: painting and sculpture have also been very
important during the last century with Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Joan
Miro and Antoni Tapies, but the best of know all of that is visit MNAC
(The National Museum of Catalan Art), the greatest museum of art in
Catalonia.
 Design is the new are in which Catalonia is focused, during the Barcelona
Olympic Games previous years the country started out a new period and
Barcelona became a city known worldwide allowing Catalan design to
become the next national cultural challenge for the country.
 Architecture with the little Romanesque churches in the Pyrenees, the
Renaissance period with its baroque and neo-classical, bust especially the
Modernisme, tha national artof Catalonia with architects like Antoni Gaudi
and others.
VI. TRADITIONS
 Castellers: Castels, specular human towers, six tiers are considered
child’s play, nine are not uncommon, competitions are held and the
real fun comes when they have to get down.
 Sant Jordi: St.George’s Day, the day of the book, in this day the men
gives a rose to the women and the women gives a book back to the
men.
 Sardanes: is the Catalan National Flock Dance and Music, though
orginially only from the north of the region. It is a circle dance,
popular since at least the 16th century, it’s music usually by a sardana
band called a “cobla” (which apparently involves 11 musicians playing
12 instruments).
 La Patum: a popular and traditional festival that is celebrated each
year in the Catalan city of Berga during the Solemnity of Corpus
Christi. It consists of several perfomances of mystical and symbolical
figures that dance at the rhythm of a big drum and vivid music.
 Carnestoltes: A carnival, events are usually during in February and
March, is typically involves a public celebration where the people
often dress up or masquerade during the celebration.
 Tio de nadal: a character in Catalan mythology, relating to a
Christmas tradition widespread in Catalonia. It’s a dead piece of wood.
VII.TOURISM
 Catalonia has become one of the first international tourist destinations. Now, furthermore, visiting Catalonia can
become a sustainable experience from an environmental point of view and socially inclusive. The commitment of
the Catalan Tourist Board, within the Strategic Tourism Plan developed for the period 2013-2016, is based on
offering visitors the added value which responsible tourism represents, with products, services and experiences
that encourage accessibility and economic, environmental and social sustainability. The Catalonia Responsible
Tourism Awards are awards based on the International Responsible Tourism Awards and they distinguish the
good practices of the tourist industry. This certification, promoted by the Institute of Responsible Tourism,
establishes sustainable performance criteria in the international tourism business and acknowledges the industry
of this sector which has made responsible tourism the focus of the activity. Its peculiarity is the fact that it
consolidates in a single hallmark sustainability attributes related with diverse areas.
 Catalonia has worked over the last few years to eliminate architectural and communication barriers in order to
convert its main tourist attraction into areas without barriers to access. In Catalonia nowadays there are 25
accessible destinations for everybody, such as, for example, over more than 150 km of greenway and accessible
tracks, several specialised centres in adventure activities and of first-rate reference in the museum field, such as
la Pedrera by Antonio Gaudí, the Maritime Museum in Barcelona and the National Art Museum of Catalonia
(MNAC). For the Catalan Tourism Board, the concept of accessible tourism is based on the principle that tourism
is a fundamental social right for everyone, as the activities included are fundamental for the quality of life of both
the people with disabilities or reduced mobility as well as for the rest of people.
SUSTAINABILITY ASPECTS
 The sustainable and responsible tourism is one which takes into account the following three aspects of
sustainability:
 Environmental: ensures that tourism development respects the ecosystems with a rational use of natural
resources, the preservation of biodiversity, the conservation of nature and the impact assessments.
 Economic: pursues the viability of the tourism activity in the destination area stimulating the short and
long-term profitability, attempting to meet the demands, sharing the benefits equitably and having an
impact on the local population.
 Sociocultural: ensures respect for the social and cultural values of the town and for an accessible tourism
for everyone through a balanced and rational management of the use of the areas, boosting employment,
making sure the locals benefit and adapting the environment to the needs of all. Consequently, improves
the quality of life of residents and visitors, and promotes social cohesion.
THE ACCESSIBLE TOURISM
DESTINATIONS:
 BARCELONA
Barcelona offers gorgeous Mediterranean scenery combined with
bustling urban energy. This flamboyant city is Spain's second
largest city, as well as the capital of the Catalonia region.
Barcelona is famous for its cultural attractions and boasts over 50
top-notch museums. Popular museums are the Museu Picasso,
which displays an in-depth collection of Picasso's artworks
from his early years, and the Museu Nacional d'Art de
Catalunya, which presents a well-rounded collection of
Romanesque art, Gothic art, Renaissance and Baroque
paintings, Catalan modernist art, and photography.
Outside the old town are broad, tree-lined avenues that lead to the
beautiful beaches along the harbor. Barcelona's most lively
thoroughfare is La Rambla, a tree-lined street with many
shops and outdoor cafés. La Rambla is at the center of the
city's social life and buzzes with activity day and night.
For a delectable Catalan gastronomic experience in between
sightseeing, gourmands can treat themselves to a meal at the
two-star Michelin-rated Moments Restaurant on the
elegant Passeig de Gràcia.
1. THE COSTA BRAVA
Stretching north east from the coves and beaches of Blanes to Catalonia's border with France, the Costa
Brava is Spain's most scenic coastline. This 1,240-mile coast of ragged cliffs and idyllic beaches is one
of Europe's favorite seaside playgrounds, and its pretty little whitewashed towns have lured artists
including Dalí, Picasso, and Marc Chagall.
Sandy beaches, like the one at the colorful old fishing village of Calella de Palafrugell, are tucked into
coves beneath the cliffs, and other towns, such as Santa Susanna, have a choice of several beaches,
from busy strands filled with sunbathers and kiosks to quiet coves and beaches equipped for
watersports and sailing.
2. MONTSERRAT MONASTERY
The magnificent Benedictine monastery of Montserrat sits atop a rocky crag, surrounded by
fantastically eroded cliffs. This striking natural site has an otherworldly and soul-inspiring feel.
The monastery's history goes back to 1025, when it was founded at the site of the little mountain
hermitage of Santa Maria de Montserrat. Soon, word spread of miracles performed here by the
Virgin, and the monastery grew into an important place of pilgrimage.
The 12th-century carving of Our Lady of Montserrat, known as "La Moreneta" ("The Black
Madonna"), is still venerated here by the faithful, and today Montserrat is one of Spain's
biggest tourist attractions.
3. GIRONA
Girona is the sparkling crown jewel of Catalonia. This medieval walled city, 103 kilometers
from Barcelona, has a rich cultural heritage with diverse influences from the ancient
Romans, Moorish-era Arabs, and Jews.
Built on the right bank of the Onyar River, the Old Town includes two areas enclosed within
ancient ramparts: the Força Vella, which outlines the original Roman city founded more
than 2,000 year ago, and the Medieval Quarter, which expanded the city in the 14th and
15th centuries. These atmospheric historic quarters are filled with narrow pedestrian streets
and impressive medieval buildings.
The main drag of the Old Town is the Rambla de la Libertad, an arcaded pedestrian street
lined with shops and pavement cafés. Another interesting area to explore is the Jewish
Quarter (El Call), one of the best preserved in Spain. During the Middle Ages, this quarter
had an important synagogue and centers of Kabbalist study.
4. TARRAGONA
Tarragona is an attractive seaside city that
seems to have it all: sunshine, beaches,
and interesting historic monuments. About
100 kilometers from Barcelona, this port
town on the Costa Daurada is a
worthwhile excursion or an alternative
base to explore Catalonia.
History buffs will be enthralled by Tarragona's
UNESCO-listed ancient Roman buildings
found all over Tarragona, especially the
incredibly well-preserved Roman
amphitheater of the second century. Also
among the top attractions of Tarragona are
a Romanesque-era cathedral and charming
medieval streets.
Beach lovers will be content spending a few
days here. Most of the city overlooks the
Mediterranean Sea, and the
spectacular Playa del Milagro beach is
within walking distance from the historic
center of town.
VIII. GASTRONOMY
 Catalonia has a very marked culture of its own, most
evidently of Mediterranean tradition and Certainly it is
one of the most important places in Spain, it’s long
tradition of international commerce.
 It’s impossible to resist the temptations of tapas, those
miniature offering of Spanish cuisine, best enjoyed with a
glass in hand, like boquerones (anchovies in vinegar),
chiprones (small squid) and croquetas. (Iberian ham
croquettes in béchamel sauce).
 Catalonia’s excellent gastronomy is characterized by
seafood, rice dishes (paella and others) wines of great
international reputation, also cava it’s like champagne and
traditional desserts like the famous “Catalonian Cream”.
 Most dishes are combined with a piece of bread smeared
with tomato olive oil and salt, it’s a very traditional
Catalan dish.
IX. ADVENTURE PARKS
 Tibidabo take the funicular enjoy the view from the Tibidabo, far from atop the Tibidabo, opened
in 1908, has welcomed generation of Barcelona’s kids, there still no video games. The park
includes merry porounds, automations, wooden horses a Ferris.
 Port Aventura it is an another park near Tarragona with a lot of rollercoasters, wooden horses,
automatons, the top of the free fall you can see a panoramic view of the beach is breathtaking.
X. NATURAL PARKS
 Catalonia is a region with an significant natural
heritage and great great biological and landscape
diversity. The system of protected zones is based
on a network of 165 areas of special ecological
value, with an area equivalent to approximately
30% of Catalan territory.
Catalonia is the third Autonomous Community
with more natural parks, which are the most
visited in Spain and has a national park and
several natural parks, natural areas of national
interest and nature reserves.
 Aigüestortes and Sant Maurici Lake at the
heart of the Pyrenees we find the only national
park in Catalonia. Its main landmark are the
characteristic high mountain meanders (the
aigüestortes), its lakes and the impressive peaks
over 3,000 meters.
1. Cap de Creus
The first maritime-terrestrial park in Catalonia,
created with the mission to protect the
peninsula of Cape Creus and its marine
environment. A rocky landscape of unique
beauty, rich in coves, cliffs and small
islands and an important underwater
biodiversity.

2. Ebro Delta
An exceptional natural park with a great
richness of flora and fauna, located at the
mouth of the Ebro river. The landscape of
the delta has a singular beauty and a
unique character in Catalonia, with water
as the main protagonist.
3. Montserrat Mountain
This impressive rocky massif, visible from a
great distance, offers visitors the chance
to admire a landscape unique in the
world. From the viewpoints the visitors
can admire stunning panoramic views of
Catalonia and the Pyrenees.

4. Pedraforca Massif
Natural Area of National Interest
Pedraforca is one of the most emblematic
mountains in Catalonia thanks to the
impressive biological richness, its
geological complexity and especially to
his U-shaped silhouette, peculiarity
which gives its name.
XI. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 https://llengua.gencat.cat/en/el-catala/origens-i-historia/
 https://
www.barcelona.com/barcelona_city_guide/references_marks/traditions/catalan_identity
 https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/cat-geography.htm
 https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/5-traditions-only-catalans-can-understand/
 https://www.catalunya.com/catalan-traditions-1-4-497146?language=en
 https://www.turismoencatalunya.es/en/Catalonia-tourist-info.html
 https://www.turismoencatalunya.es/en/nature-parks-in-Catalonia.html
 https://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/restaurants/catalan/catalan-cuisine-guide.html
 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/beyond-headlines-catalan-
culture-has-long-history-vibrancy-and-staying-power-180969294/
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalonia