The former Villa Denise, the house from which the former president of the Generalitat Lluís Companys in 1926 devised a plot to overthrow the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera and proclaim the Catalan Republic, has opened its doors to the public this Sunday after nearly 6 years of restoration work carried out by nearly a hundred volunteers, and has been renamed Casa Macià.
According to the organization, around 500 people attended the inaugural ceremony of the space, including three former presidents of the Generalitat: Jordi Pujol, Carles Puigdemont and Pere Aragonès, as well as the former president of the Parliament Carme Forcadell and the current president of the chamber, Josep Rull.
During his remarks, Rull assured that Catalonia will never “renounce its identity and its collective aspirations,” and he presented Casa Macià as a tool for weaving a dialogue between different stages of Catalan history.
Defense of liberties and territorial link
The president of the Parliament has asked that it be understood that “the defense of liberties and collective rights has too often had a very high personal price,” and he emphasized the importance of strengthening the relationship between Northern Catalonia and Southern Catalonia.
Along these lines, he has argued that “Northern Catalonia is the Principality of Catalonia,” and he recalled the popular saying ‘Without Rosselló there is no nation, without Vallespir there is no destiny’ to underscore that historical and political link.
Rull also cited Macià to demand that the “blue triangle” not be renounced, in reference to the symbol of the Catalan “estelada” flag, and he encouraged people to keep the struggle for Catalonia’s independence alive.
Presentations and historical tribute
The day included the presentation of the graphic novel “El Complot,” with texts by Jordi Rodó, as well as the book “Fets i gent,” a publication by Estat Català that compiles more than 116 biographies.
In addition, a tribute was paid to the families of the people who accompanied Macià during the events of Prats de Molló, reinforcing the memorial and vindicatory character of the inauguration of Casa Macià.