Historian and former Catalan Culture Minister Ferran Mascarell will present his book, "Barcelona: A Quick Immersion" (Barcelona. Una immersió ràpida), at the Parcir bookshop in Manresa, Central Catalonia, on Monday, 21 April 2026, exploring the city's past, present, and future.
The book, published by Tibidabo Ediciones in 2025, offers an immersion into Barcelona's history and a reflection on its future, according to the publisher. It argues that the city, with over two thousand years of history, can only be understood by knowing its roots, journeys, tensions, successes, ruptures, continuities, and the values that have shaped it. The presentation is scheduled for 19:00.
Mascarell's work traces Barcelona's successive identities, from Laietana and Roman to Visigothic, Frankish, Comtal, and ultimately as the capital of Catalonia and the political engine of the Crown of Aragon. The book suggests that Barcelona needs to rethink its identity and direction.
Mascarell's Political Background
Ferran Mascarell, born in Sant Just Desvern in 1951, has been a key figure in cultural policies across Barcelona and Catalonia, serving with the PSC, CiU, and JxCat political parties. He has held the position of Culture Minister for the Generalitat de Catalunya on two occasions and served as Culture Councillor for Barcelona City Council.
In 2016, Mascarell was appointed delegate of the Catalan Government in Madrid. He was dismissed on 27 October 2017, following the application of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, but was reinstated months later when a new government was formed. He left politics in 2023. Josep Lluís Micó, director of Regió 7, will accompany Mascarell at the book presentation.
The event offers residents of Central Catalonia an opportunity to engage with Mascarell's insights into Barcelona's complex identity and its potential paths forward.
