Government of Catalonia

It is very difficult to put an exact date which marks the beginning of the popular tradition of giving roses on the day of Sant Jordi. It must be very old as the Rose Fair has been held on the day of Sant Jordi since the 15th century. The age of this tradition tempts us to look for a link between a popular tradition and the symbolism of courtly love which the rose represents. However, apart from these possible theories that could justify the tradition, what is most important is that it has remained alive and is an indisputable symbol of Catalonia.

In 1926 Spain established April 23rd as the 'Dia del Llibre' to commemorate the death of Cervantes, imitating England, where the same day was also celebrated because it coincided with the date of the death of Shakespeare. The celebration quickly became popular in Barcelona and spread to the rest of Catalonia, but the original idea lost importance as it coincided with the day of the Patron Saint. However, while the festival was celebrated very little and even disappeared in some areas, in Catalonia it has become one of the most celebrated festivals, and at the same time, it has promoted and extended the sale of books in Catalan.

So therefore, in Catalonia, April 23rd is the day of Sant Jordi, the day of the rose and the book: the day of the Patron Saint and the day of love and culture. It is, in fact, a day of public-spiritedness, of culture and of respect amongst all those who live in Catalonia and, by extension, to all peoples and cultures around the world.


Documentary evidence of the devotion to Sant Jordi in Catalonia goes back to the 8th century. Documents from that time tell of a priest from Tarragona named Jordi who fled to Italy. In the 10th century, a bishop from Vic was named Jordi, and in the 11th century the abbé Oliba consecrated an altar dedicated to the Saint in the monastery of Ripoll. Examples of the cult to Sant Jordi can be found, from that time, in the consecration of chapels, altars and churches all around the country.

The Catalan kings showed their devotion to Sant Jordi: Jaume I explained in his 'Crònica' that Sant Jordi was seen helping the Catalans in their conquest of the city of Mallorca, Pere 'el Ceremoniós' established an order of cavalry under his advocation and Alfons el Magnànim dedicated chapels in his kingdoms of Sardinia and Naples to his memory.

The kings and the Generalitat promoted the celebration of the festival of Sant Jordi all over the Catalan territories. In Valencia, in 1343 it was already a popular festival; in 1407 it was publicly celebrated in Mallorca. In 1436 the Generalitat de Catalunya proposed to the 'Corts', meeting in Montsó, that the celebration be made official and compulsory; in 1456, the 'Corts', meeting in the Cathedral of Barcelona dictated a constitution which gave orders for the festival to take place, and included it in the code of the 'Constitucions de Catalunya'.

Renovation work carried out on the Palau de la Generalitat during the 15th century gives the clearest example of the devotion of the Generalitat to Sant Jordi. The Saint's medal presides over the gothic façade and, in the interior; the Sant Jordi chapel was built,