Flag Ceremony Opens Diada and Millennium Commemoration
The Catalan Parliament has begun its official Diada celebrations with a solemn raising of the 54-metre senyera (Catalan national flag) outside the Palau del Parlament in Barcelona. The evening ceremony on Thursday, 10 September 2026, also marked the formal launch of a two-year programme commemorating the millenary of the Assemblees de Pau i Treva (Assemblies of Peace and Truce), which the institution regards as foundational to Catalan parliamentary democracy. Presided over by Parliament President Josep Rull, Catalan government President Salvador Illa, and Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni, the event followed a ceremonial protocol similar to last year’s inaugural permanent display of the large flag. This year, the flag was already flying, but the ritual procession and hoisting were repeated, reinforcing its symbolic role ahead of the National Day on 11 September. Five members of the Honour Guard of the Mossos d'Esquadra, Catalonia’s regional police, carried the folded flag from the main entrance, accompanied by music from the Ministrers de la Ciutat, who performed the 'Contradansa de galeres'. The flag was handed to Mayor Collboni, acting in his capacity as representative of the 'cap i casal de Catalunya' (head and hearth of Catalonia), before being raised by officers from the Mossos and Barcelona’s Guàrdia Urbana. The Orfeó Català choir performed 'El cant de la senyera' during the ascent.
Oliba Recreated in Dramatic Reading
The ceremony then turned to historical reflection, with actor Lluís Soler delivering a specially written text titled 'Oliba. Mil anys de pau i treva de Déu', authored by poet Jaume Coll Mariné, recent recipient of the Carles Riba poetry prize. Dressed in austere monastic robes, Soler appeared among the choir and delivered a monologue in character as Abbot Oliba, a key religious and political figure of the 11th century. Beginning with the words 'Jo, Oliba, per la gràcia de Déu bisbe i abat, a qui em vulgui escoltar, pau i gràcia', the performance evoked the context of feudal violence and social instability in 1027, when Oliba convened peace assemblies to protect peasants and limit noble warfare through collective agreement.
La pau és una obra col·lectiva
The reading emphasized dialogue and law over force, framing these early assemblies as seeds of later Catalan institutions such as the Usatges de Barcelona, the Corts Generals, and the Catalan constitutions. It reinforced the Parliament’s aim to highlight continuity in Catalonia’s institutional history and values of deliberation and pact.
Medieval Music Performed by Jordi Savall
Musical performances underscored the historical theme. Jordi Savall, the renowned musician from Igualada, led soloists from La Capella Reial de Catalunya and Hespèrion XXI in medieval pieces including 'Veri dulcis in tempore', copied in Barcelona in 1012; 'Pax! In nomine Domini!', a crusade song by troubadour Marcabru; and 'Quant ai lo mon consirat', an anonymous spiritual song from around 1100. Later, the event made a symbolic leap forward in time with a screening of cellist Pau Casals’ 1971 speech at the United Nations. The Orfeó Català performed 'El cant dels ocells' a cappella alongside the projection, linking Oliba’s medieval peace mission with Casals’ modern advocacy for human rights and non-violence. The ceremony concluded with a full rendition of 'Els segadors', the national anthem of Catalonia, performed once more by the Orfeó Català.
Reception and Broader Programme
A reception hosted by the Bureau of the Parliament followed, attended by former Catalan presidents José Montilla and Pere Aragonès, ex-presidents of the Parliament Ernest Benach, Carme Forcadell, Roger Torrent, Laura Borràs and Anna Erra, representatives from all current parliamentary groups except Vox and Aliança Catalana, and figures from civil society, business and culture. President Rull reiterated that the millenary is an opportunity to deepen understanding of Catalonia’s institutional roots and to reaffirm values such as human dignity, dialogue and conflict resolution through agreement. He invited all citizens to participate in the commemorations and to sign a public manifesto promoted by the Parliament. The full programme, running until December 2027, includes academic events such as the 78th Congress of the International Commission for the Study of Representative and Parliamentary Institutions, debates at the Institut d'Estudis Catalans, university competitions, and educational activities in schools. A gathering of Nobel laureates focused on peace is planned for autumn 2027.
Public Access This Friday
The institutional day continues on Friday, 11 September, with an open-house event at the Parliament building. Citizens can visit between 11:00 and 19:00 as part of the traditional Diada portes obertes (open doors) initiative. More details are available on the official millenary events agenda.
Reported by regio7.cat, elnacional.cat, elperiodico.cat, parlament.cat, Parlament de Catalunya, VilaWeb, elperiodico.com, CatalunyaPress.es, El Nacional (CA).
