Catalan Literary Revival: From Renaixença to Modernisme

The Renaixença: Catalan Literary Rebirth in the 19th Century

The Renaixença was a broad Catalan cultural and ultimately political literary movement. Its promoters sought to recover cultured literary expression in the Catalan language, to define a distinct Catalan identity, and to incorporate some of the most significant trends of contemporary European literature, particularly Romanticism and Realism.

This movement had its precedents in scholarly studies of the 18th century, culminating in Josep Pau Ballot's Grammar and Apology of the Catalan Language in 1815. Its emergence is often associated with the publication of Bonaventura Carles Aribau's poem, Oda a la Pàtria, in 1833, which is usually regarded as the starting point of the Renaixença.

In 1841, Joaquim Rubió i Ors posed a double challenge: to create a literature independent of Spanish and to do so by drawing on classical medieval traditions, specifically the reinstated Jocs Florals (Floral Games). This latter objective was achieved in 1859, coinciding with the publication of two anthologies of multiple authors, which further solidified the movement.

From this point, the Renaixença was consolidated across different genres with works by authors such as Àngel Guimerà, Narcís Oller, and Jacint Verdaguer. The movement reached its peak in the 1870s and 1880s and was eventually displaced by Modernisme in the last decade of the century.

Catalan Literature: 16th to 18th Centuries

During the early modern age, cultured Catalan literature experienced a decline, primarily motivated by social and political factors. Notably, the shift of the royal court to Castile led to a progressive loss of political and cultural sovereignty. However, the three major European aesthetic movements of this period were still present in Catalan literature:

• Renaissance (16th Century)

  This period placed humanity and its ability to judge the universe freely at its center. Notable figures include the writer Cristòfor Despuig and poets Serafí Pitarra and Joan Pujol.

• Baroque (17th Century)

  This movement expressed the spiritual crisis caused by the Wars of Religion and general human contradictions. Outstanding figures include the poet and playwright Francesc Vicent Garcia and Francesc Fontanella.

• Enlightenment (18th Century)

  This era restored confidence in humankind and the possibility of educating it rationally. The prose of Baldiri Reixac (Baron of Maldà) and the theater of Joan Ramis are the most notable productions of this period.

In contrast, during this period, popular literature, based on an oral tradition disconnected from political and cultural centers of influence, generally persisted. The most representative genres of this literature include:

• Lyric poetry and narrative: Goigs (devotional songs), carols, ballads, etc.
• Narrative prose: Fairy tales and legends.
• Religious drama: Performances linked to major Christian festivals.
• Profane theater: Farces and Dances of Death.