La Renaixensa

La Renaixensa was a Catalanist periodical founded in Barcelona in 1871. It began as a fortnightly publication on 1 February 1871 under the name La Renaxensa, with the subtitle Periodich de literatura, ciencias y arts, and was initially directed by Francesc Matheu before Àngel Guimerà took over its editorial line. From 1876 the title was standardized as La Renaixensa. The publication was closely associated with the Catalanist society La Jeune Catalogne (Jove Catalunya), and its founders and editors, including Pere Aldavert i Martorell and Àngel Guimerà, shaped its political and cultural orientation. Following ideological divergences that emerged at the first Catalanist Congress of 1880 between the federalist and interventionist current led by Valentí Almirall and the patriotic and unionist Catalanism defended by Guimerà and Aldavert, the review was transformed into a daily newspaper. Its first issue as a daily appeared on 1 January 1881 with the subtitle Diari de Catalunya. The monthly review continued to be published in 1881 and from 1882 onward as a literary supplement to the daily until 1903. The daily declared its ambition in its first issue: to move beyond exclusive provincialism and political partisanship toward a spirit of fatherland, union, and fraternity for the reconstruction of the national element. The newspaper was directed by Pere Aldavert and Àngel Guimerà from 1881 to 1902. Domènec Martí i Julià succeeded them from May to August 1902, followed by Emili Arderiu from August to December 1902. Pere Aldavert returned as director from January to May 1903. Joaquim Botet i Sisó then directed until March 1905, and Pere M. Puig from April to May 1905. The last issue was published on 9 May 1905. Among its contributors were the journalist and politician Enric Prat de la Riba, the writer Dolors Monserdà, and the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. Domènech i Montaner designed the newspaper's heraldic emblem, combining the arms of Catalonia with the phoenix, and in 1878 published in the review an article, En busca de una arquitectura nacional, which outlined the premises of the Catalan Modernisme movement and immediately generated numerous commentaries in Catalan cultural circles. La Renaixensa is remembered as a key platform of Catalan political and cultural influence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

La Renaixensa was created as a fortnightly publication on 1 February 1871 by Pere Aldavert, initially directed by Francesc Matheu and later by Àngel Guimerà. All three were part of the Catalanist society La Jeune Catalogne. With the subtitle Periodich de literatura, ciencias y arts, the review aimed to be a showcase of the literary and cultural spirit of its time. Its initial name, La Renaxensa, changed from 1876 to La Renaixensa. Following ideological divergences that appeared at the first Catalanist Congress of 1880 between the federal and interventionist Catalanism defended by Valentí Almirall, director of Diari Català since 1879, and the patriotic and unionist Catalanism defended by Guimerà and Aldavert, the latter transformed the review into a daily newspaper; its first issue came off the presses on 1 January 1881 with the subtitle Diari de Catalunya. The review continued to appear monthly in 1881, and from 1882 as a literary supplement to the daily until 1903. In its first issue, the politics section declared the daily's ambition: "We want, finally, not to go on the path of exclusive provincialism, but of provincial spirit; not on the path of political partisanship, but toward the spirit of the fatherland; not by fragmentation but toward attraction, for union, for the fraternity of judgments, affections and wills in the reconstitution of the national element which is the greatest civilizing power of peoples." Pere Aldavert and Àngel Guimerà directed the newspaper from 1881 to 1902; Domènec Martí i Julià succeeded them from May to August 1902, then Emili Arderiu from August to December 1902. Pere Aldavert resumed direction from January to May 1903. Joaquim Botet i Sisó succeeded him until March 1905, then Pere M. Puig from April to May 1905. The last issue appeared on 9 May 1905. Among the editors and contributors of the newspaper were the journalist and politician Enric Prat de la Riba, the writer Dolors Monserdà, and the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. The latter designed the newspaper's heraldic emblem, combining the arms of Catalonia and the phoenix emblem; in 1878 he published in the review an article En busca de una arquitectura nacional (In Search of a National Architecture) that described the premises of the Catalan Modernisme movement; this article immediately became the subject of numerous commentaries in Catalan cultural circles.

• 1905

  Last issue published on 9 May.

• 1903

  Pere Aldavert resumes direction; Joaquim Botet i Sisó succeeds him.

• 1902

  Domènec Martí i Julià and Emili Arderiu briefly direct the newspaper.

• 1882

  Monthly review becomes a literary supplement to the daily until 1903.

• 1881

  First issue as a daily newspaper on 1 January, with subtitle Diari de Catalunya.

• 1880

  First Catalanist Congress; ideological divergences lead to transformation into a daily.

• 1878

  Lluís Domènech i Montaner publishes En busca de una arquitectura nacional in the review.

• 1876

  Name changed from La Renaxensa to La Renaixensa.

• 1871

  Founded as a fortnightly publication on 1 February under the name La Renaxensa.

Catalanist periodical and daily newspaper promoting Catalan language, culture and political identity.

• La Renaxensa / La Renaixensa (fortnightly review)

  Literary, scientific and artistic review founded in 1871.

• La Renaixensa (daily newspaper)

  Daily newspaper published from 1881 to 1905 with subtitle Diari de Catalunya.

• La Renaixensa (literary supplement)

  Monthly literary supplement to the daily from 1882 to 1903.

1. 1Wikidata: La Renaixensawikidata.org
2. 2Wikipedia (French): La Renaixensafr.wikipedia.org
3. 3Hemeroteca Digital (BNE): La Renaixensahemerotecadigital.bne.es