Girona celebrates this Sant Jordi with Sant Francesc avenue as the new axis of the day, in a change of distribution agreed between the City Council and the merchants to reinforce security and adapt to the consolidation works of the platform over the Onyar river in Plaça Catalunya.
The reorganization has reduced the number of stalls in plaza Catalunya, one of the central points of the diada. In this space, the professional stalls are concentrated in the western part, while the entity stalls have been moved from calle Nou to plaza Pompeu Fabra and plaza Hospital due to recommendations from the Municipal Police.
New distribution of the fair
The Sant Jordi fair adds 172 stalls in total. Of these, 33 correspond to professionals, 114 to entities and 25 are located in front of shops. The main novelty this year is the incorporation of Sant Francesc avenue as the location for the celebration, on a day marked by a new distribution of spaces in the city center.
The adjustment responds both to security criteria and to the need to fit the activity into an environment affected by the works on the platform of plaza Catalunya. Despite initial doubts, the sector positively values the result of the change.
"The change of location cost us a bit to understand, but we are very happy, much more than we thought. There are people from early on, the stalls are very well located, we have space and citizens can pass perfectly from one side to the other" - Carme Ferrer, spokesperson for the booksellers
Tributes and institutional acts
The day also had a marked cultural and institutional profile. The Generalitat has organized the literary breakfast at Casa Solterra, where homage has been paid to the poet Isabel Oliva, 101 years old.
"I'm a bit flustered because I don't like tributes much, I like to go to places being anonymous, but grateful that they have thought of me" - Isabel Oliva, poet
Furthermore, the City Council of Girona has celebrated its first institutional act of Sant Jordi with a recognition to the writer Rosa Font Massot. Throughout the day, several outstanding literary anniversaries linked to the Catalan cultural calendar are also remembered.
- The 120th anniversary of the publication of Josafat by Prudenci Bertrana
- The 100th anniversary of the birth of Blai Bonet
- The 50th anniversary of the death of Clementina Arderiu
- The 10th anniversary of the death of Narcís Jordi Aragó
With this new map of stalls and an agenda focused on literature, Girona debuts a Sant Jordi Day with more space in the pedestrian routes and with Sant Francesc avenue incorporated into the usual circuit of one of the most crowded celebrations of the year in the city.