Barcelona's iconic Sant Jordi celebration will see a significant change this Thursday as florists from La Rambla temporarily relocate to Plaça de Catalunya due to ongoing renovation works on the famous boulevard. This year's festivities will offer a different backdrop for the traditional exchange of roses and books.
Eight newly constructed, uniform white stalls, each bearing the name of a Rambla florist, are now situated on the wide pavements on either side of Carrer de Bergara, above Carrer de Pelai, in Plaça de Catalunya. This temporary relocation, which began a month ago, is expected to last until February 2025, when the renovation of La Rambla is scheduled for completion. Florists anticipate returning to their original spots with these same stalls, except for Flors Carolina, which will restore and reinstate its award-winning, heritage-listed kiosk.
Carolina Pallés, owner of Flors Carolina, explained that her kiosk, which received a Foment de les Arts Decoratives (FAD) award in 1992 during the Barcelona Olympic Games, "had deteriorated quite a bit and was due for an improvement." She and her sister Mercè, representing the fourth generation of florists in their family, will return to their business's original location opposite the Boqueria market entrance, where it has stood since 1888.
A Different View for Sant Jordi
The temporary move means that one of Sant Jordi's most emblematic photographs, that of La Rambla's central promenade packed with people, will be taken elsewhere this year. Florists have already observed a change in clientele at their new location. "More local people are seen passing by here; on La Rambla, it was mainly tourists," Pallés noted, adding that many tourists would ascend from Colom after arriving by cruise or visiting the sea. Despite the change, Pallés remains optimistic. "The feeling is that Sant Jordi will work, here and everywhere. It's a big celebration throughout Barcelona, as it is in Maresme and any town or city in Catalonia," she said. "Whether it will be the same as other years in this new location, or better, we will see: it's a surprise."
Pallés expressed confidence, stating, "It will go well!" She clarified that "everyone works for Sant Jordi, we just have to hope for good weather. For now, we have the usual orders, from companies and individuals." She recalled years when additional rose deliveries were needed by mid-afternoon, expressing belief that this year's purchased roses would all be sold.
The Global Journey of Sant Jordi Roses
Pallés explained that the roses "all come from abroad." She added, "Before, we used to have them from Maresme and Valencia, but now they come from Latin America, from countries like Ecuador." She described the process: "They arrive without water and, after soaking them for three hours, they can be prepared." She noted that locally grown roses were sold when the festival was primarily celebrated by local residents. "I remember, as a child, leaving school on Sant Jordi and coming to the stall and only seeing locals; the festival wasn't as crowded as it is now. Either Barcelona is small or there are many of us now. Currently, we always have to add tourists," she said. "Years ago, they didn't know about festivals like this. They might come for New Year's and in summer, and since we close in August, we didn't see them. Now, however, they are here all year round, and that also means that for Sant Jordi, we need many more roses."
Upon arriving at the provisional stall, Pallés immediately displayed newspaper clippings featuring photographs of memorable moments, including visits from personalities greeting her father or her and her sister. This Thursday, as every year, friends and family will join the florists to help sell roses, alongside professionals skilled in creating more elaborate arrangements. "Because the rose with the spike, anyone can do that, but they make more elaborate presentations, they know how to work with the flower, because they have taken a floral composition course, for example," she specified.
The Enduring Appeal of the Red Rose
Sant Jordi is a pivotal event for florists, marking "the most intense period of work in the year," according to Carolina Pallés. She clarified, "For us, Sant Jordi is not just one day. It's at least a whole week of preparations." The celebration fills streets and flower shops with red, as the red rose remains the undisputed star of Sant Jordi, even though white, pink, yellow, and even blue roses are also available. "Yes, the red is the queen and always will be, although some want white ones, but they are a minority," Pallés commented. She shared a verse requested by some customers for a combination of white and red roses: "El foc dels teus ulls m’ha encès el cor" (The fire in your eyes has lit my heart). This, she explained, is the language of flowers, which she has studied to understand how these natural beauties express emotions.
Looking Ahead to a Revitalised Rambla
Among the eight stalls continuing the legacy of flower sales on La Rambla, now relocated to Plaça de Catalunya, two are dedicated to seeds and flowers, one sells only seeds, and four sell only flowers. Next February, these businesses are expected to return to the central space of La Rambla to begin a new chapter. "We have the feeling that it will look very good, and I hope that, just out of curiosity, Barcelonians will walk along La Rambla again," Pallés said. "I am very excited about this change in the environment; I think it will be good for all of us, and I am happy because I see that the works are progressing at a very good pace, I think they are going faster than expected."
The family business was founded by Carolina Serrat Barrera, daughter of another Carolina who sold flowers as a street vendor, notably at the Liceu opera house. It was the daughter who obtained a permit from Barcelona City Council and opened the flower stall on La Rambla, opposite the Boqueria, where Carolina and Mercè Pallés continue to sell flowers today. This Sant Jordi, they will exceptionally sell their red roses in Plaça de Catalunya, filling the new space with the flower that symbolises a fabulous, unique, and deeply rooted festival.
