Sant Jordi : books, roses and party in the Catalogne

Sant Jordi and its origins

The patron Sant Jordi or San Jorge, fixed in the calendar of saints on April 23, it represents a feast full of history, symbolism and tradition and awakens the attention of all tourists who are on these dates in the cities from the Costa Brava or any other corner of Catalan territory.

In the 15th century, a rose fair was already organized in Barcelona on the occasion of Sant Jordi. Above all, boyfriends, fiancés and young couples were present, which suggests that the custom of offering a rose has its origins in this feast, which was celebrated at the Palau de la Generalitat.

However, at present, these details are common to all relatives, family or friends.

The origins of book-related festivals date back to the 1920s, when Vicent Clavel i Andrés, the Valencian author and director of the Cervantes publishing house, presented at the Official Book Chamber of Barcelona with the Guild of Publishers and Booksellers to organize a party to promote the book in Catalonia. The date chosen was October 7, 1927.

In 1929, during the International Exhibition in Barcelona, ​​booksellers decided to organize themselves and went out into the streets to set up stalls to present novelties and encourage reading. The initiative was so successful that it was decided to change the date and establish it as Book Day on April 23, a day that coincides with the death of two great authors in the history of literature: Cervantes and Shakespeare.

Since its creation, the festival has given a great boost to editorial production in Catalan, and it still maintains this essence today. This Catalan holiday is so important that in 1995 the General Conference of UNESCO declared April 23 World Book and Copyright Day.

All the streets are filled with posts with roses and books, arousing the interest of all audiences: children, academics, booksellers, florists, retirees, associations, political parties, trade unions and many others. It is above all a day that promotes culture.

The legend of the dragon of Sant Jordi

In the Middle Ages, this is when George's feat on horseback against the dragon became popular. According to legend, in Cappadocia, a semi-arid region in central Turkey known for its characteristic "fairy chimneys", there lived a dragon that scared people.

The citizens, prisoners of fear, decided to give him two lambs a day. It was the only option they had to satisfy their hunger and not attack them.

But the time came when there weren't so many animals left and they chose to send just one lamb and one person, which would be chosen at random. The family that lost a member to be devoured by the dragon, received all kinds of wealth in compensation.

One day it was the princess's turn. To avoid his death, Jorge confronted the dragon and stabbed it with the sword which finally killed the beast.

From the blood of the dragon sprouted a rose which the martyr gave to the king's daughter.

Today we can admire the facade of the Palace of the Generalitat of Catalonia in Barcelona, ​​where you can see a sculpture of the martyr with the dragon.

Sant Jordi is like a second Valentine's Day. There are people who offer flowers, others books, and some still celebrate love, and so much the better if it's in a property like ours.

Whether you want to celebrate Sant Jordi in your next home on the Costa Brava, buy or sell your property, Engel & Völkers Costa Brava South will be happy to help you.