English writer G.K. Chesterton's first visit to Barcelona in 1926 is being remembered a century later by Catalan Chestertonian scholars, led by Professor Sílvia Coll-Vinent, director of the Centre for Chesterton Studies and Documentation. The visit, made possible by PEN Català, marked a significant moment in Catalonia's cultural history, according to a 1926 report by Josep Pla in The Observer.
Pla's account, signed in London on 12 June 1926, detailed Chesterton's return to England, where he expressed his enchantment with Barcelona. Chesterton reportedly said that any book he might write about his journey would be a poor offering compared to the hospitality he received. Pla urged Chesterton to write the book, not only for its literary value but also for the good it could do for everyone, praising him as an intelligent and honourable observer.
Chesterton, known for his paradoxes, understood Catalonia well. He enjoyed Barcelona and noted that some towns on the Iberian Peninsula were more active than others. He observed, "The Catalans give much more work than the rest of their compatriots," and found a strong desire for cleanliness and hygiene in Catalonia, which he believed could lead to many challenges.
An Admired Writer's Journey
Catalan intellectuals had long awaited Chesterton's visit. They discovered the passionate polemicist during the First World War, when he was a clear and strong voice in defence of the Allies. Antoni Rovira i Virgili, who closely followed international politics and British affairs, wrote about Chesterton in the magazine Iberia. Josep Maria Junoy, a poet and fellow convert to Catholicism after the war, was particularly captivated by Chesterton's work.
Joan Crexells, one of Catalonia's most gifted and informed writers of the time, was another keen reader. Fluent in English, Crexells spent an extended period in England shortly before Chesterton's arrival in Catalonia. Crexells was also a co-founder of the Catalan section of the PEN Club at a dinner at the Ritz on 19 February 1922.
This was the third PEN delegation, following the English and French sections, established as an international association of writers aiming to rebuild intellectual bridges and heal the spiritual wounds of the recent war. Other founding members included poet Josep Maria López-Picó, writer Josep Maria Millàs-Raurell, anthropologist Josep Maria Batista i Roca, and a young English professor and poet, John Langdon-Davies. Langdon-Davies, who had arrived in Catalonia a year earlier, was preparing an anthology of Catalan poets for translation and publication in English.
Cultural Diplomacy and Public Appearances
During these years, Catalan culture sought to gain recognition in Europe, and PEN became a key channel for cultural diplomacy, especially during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera. Efforts to bring Chesterton to Catalonia began in 1924, but that year saw a visit from Occitan poet Paul Valéry. Chesterton's visit to Barcelona would take another two years.
After a journey through the peninsula, Chesterton arrived in Barcelona at the end of April, accompanied by his wife, Frances, his niece Miss Rodha Bastable, and Junoy, who served as his guide. Staying at the Hotel Majestic, Chesterton quickly became a popular figure. He walked the streets, carrying English newspapers bought on La Rambla, writing in cafés, visiting the Ateneu Barcelonès, and occasionally falling asleep in aristocratic salons.
His distinctive appearance, including his paradoxical moustache, clear eyes, height of over 1.90 metres, prominent belly, hat, and cape, made passers-by turn their heads and children follow him. On 5 May, Chesterton delivered a lecture at the University of Barcelona. The following day, PEN honoured him with a dinner at the Ritz.
The 'Franciscan Walrus' and His Speech
Josep Maria de Sagarra immortalised this meal in an article for La Publicitat, comparing Chesterton to a "Franciscan walrus." Sagarra described Chesterton's ill-fitting tailcoat, his starched shirtfront with "valleys and mountains," and how it became systematically stained during the meal. When Nicolau d'Olwer offered a warm and elegant toast, Chesterton remained in a "correct slumber," with "exotic sails gliding across the blue water of his eyes." When Chesterton rose to speak, Sagarra noted, "his chest and centre became hallucinatory; it seemed to us that the prow of a great ship was coming towards us across the tablecloth."
In his speech, transcribed and translated by Batista i Roca, Chesterton stated, "I would have wished to pass unnoticed, but you have done me the great honour of discovering me. The PEN Club exists to create a kind of international republic of letters and to create a spirit of brotherhood among writers of all countries." He added, "The union of peoples, until now, has only meant the union of politicians, that is, of the least representative people of each nation. If poets were to gather, they would make others love each other's land. Today, I did not understand your language, but I did understand how sweet and kind it can be."
Lasting Impressions and Future Visits
The creator of Father Brown extended his visit for another month, including a week-long stay in Sitges at the Hotel Subur. The Friends of the Arts, presided over by Josep Carbonell, welcomed him with a bouquet of carnations and organised a meal in his honour. In Sitges, Chesterton discovered a town that whitewashed its houses and cleaned its streets, as he mentioned in The Observer article. He was also struck by the relationship between parents and children, which differed greatly from Edwardian rigidity.
During these days, he received visits from Junoy and architect Joan Francesc Ràfols, communicating in French as best an Englishman like Chesterton could. He also visited Tarragona, the Roman city that impressed him and found its way into his speeches, before returning to Barcelona. Before leaving, he even became an involuntary participant in the Corpus Christi procession.
The impact of his visit was significant. López-Picó, Junoy, Marià Manent, Pau Romeva, and Maurici Serrahima were among a line of Catalan writers who particularly appreciated Chesterton as a Catholic thinker and polemicist. His published and translated works represented one of the first contacts between Catalan and English literature. Chesterton would return to Catalonia nine years later, but that is another story.
