The Prèmium Club gets to know the most intimate Joan Maragall in his home dining room

“When I was little I lived huddled in a dark street. The sea was humid there, but the sun was cheerful there”. This is how one of Joan Maragall's poems begins, masterfully recited by actor Jep Barceló in the show Maragall at home, a splendid monologue woven from articles, poems, and correspondence from one of the most listened-to voices in Catalonia at the turn of the last century. The show takes place in what was the dining room of Maragall's house, in Barcelona's Sant Gervasi neighborhood. In this room every afternoon, at five o'clock, punctually, the couple had tea (Joan Maragall's wife, Clara Noble, was of English origin on her father's side).

When a new creature was born - the Maragall Noble couple had 13 children!-, the older siblings waited for the mother to come down with the newborn and presented them in this dining room, while the father, Joan Maragall, played the piano.

The Premium subscribers who attended the show were able to get to know a more intimate Maragall and also his opinion on the major events of Catalonia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For example, when they condemned Ferrer i Guàrdia to death, as a scapegoat for the events of the Tragic Week, Maragall wrote an article for La Veu de Catalunya titled The city of forgiveness, in which he recalled that there was no evidence against him. Prat de la Riba, who was its director, decided not to publish it. Maragall was a very discreet and conciliatory person, and not at all resentful. Shortly after, Prat de la Riba asked him to present the popular edition of his book La nacionalitat catalana, and Maragall did not hesitate to say yes.

The Minister of Culture of the Generalitat, Sònia Hernández, attended the show. At the end of the event, Josep Maria Jaumà, author of the text Maragall at home, showed the minister and the subscribers of ARA the rooms on the ground floor of the house and explained even more anecdotes about the poet that did not appear in the play.

The Prèmium Club continues to offer numerous activities for its members. Among the upcoming events, we highlight a crossing of Cap de Creus with the Sant Isidre, a beautiful boat that has just celebrated its centenary, and a guided tour of the new collection of the Miró Foundation.Remember that if you are a subscriber and join the Premium Club you can enjoy other advantages such as browsing Ara.cat without advertising or giving away a complete digital subscription to whomever you wish.