Catalonia's National Day

Tomorrow is Catalonia's National Day. September 11th 1714 is the day we lost our sovereignity and our freedom by force. That day the siege of Barcelona ended. For 13 months, 7,000 resistants (4,500 urban militia, 2,000 regular army, 470 cavalry) defended Barcelona against a veteran 40,000 Castilian and French army (with 80 cannons). In the Catalan side there were 7,000 casualties. There were 14,000 casualties in the assailants side. The resistance of Barcelona was an example of heroism and a symbol to those who love and fight for freedom in all Europe. England left us alone in 1713. The English allied reinforcements never came. The betrayal of England to Catalonia senentenced us to extinction. Phillip V Bourbon became king. With him the destruction of Catalonia and the Catalans started. But it never completely ended.

Since then nearly 300 years of submission and resistance at the same time. The Castilianized Spain took our flags, our independence, our culture, our lives. But they could not defeat our will to be. And we will be free once again sooner or later. They took our freedom by the force of the arms. We will regain it by the force of the democracy. Even the Spanish laws cannot stop democracy.

Until the day of our independence we commemorate the courage and sacrifice of those who defended our freedom to death. It is not a happy day. It is a day to remember who we are and who we were.

Phillip V of Castile

TO THE MARTYRS OF 1714

In the Graveyard of the Mulberry Trees

any traitor is buried

even losing our flags

it will be the urn of the Honour

In the Graveyard of the Mulberry Trees were buried all the victims of the defense of Barcelona 1713 - 1714

Some celebrities of the Catalan resistance:

Josep de Moragues i Mas (1669 - 1715) General (in the picture)

Antoni de Villarroel Peláez (1656 - 1742) Supreme Commander in Chief of the Catalan army

Rafael de Casanova i Comes (1660 - 1743) Counseillor in Chief of Barcelona

Pere Joan Barceló i Anguera "Carrasclet" (1682 - 1743) Soldier and Commander of the most famous anti-Bourbonic guerrilla

Manuel Ferrer i Sitges politician "Wake up, wake up sleeping Catalans. Do not bury your honour, your laws and the freedom of your beloved homeland in the black obscurity of a perpetual slavery" (speech 1713)

Antoni Desvalls i de Vergós (1666 - 1724) Marquis de Poal and General in Chief of the Catalan sometent (militia)

Francesc Descatllar i de Tord (? - 1715) Captain

Sebastià Dalmau i Oller (1682 - 1762) Colonel of Cavalry

Josep Comes (? - 9/11/1714) Liutenant Colonel

Francesc de Castellví i Obando (1682 - 1757) Captain

Magí Baixeres (? - 9/11/1714) Captain

And all of those anonymous Catalan patriots

that lived and died defending our nation

WE DO NOT FORGET

FREEDOM FOR CATALONIA