In 1936, 865 book titles had been published in Catalonia in Catalan, the highest number reached during the republican years. In 1976, with Franco already dead, 872 were published. Four decades had passed and Catalan was just emerging from the depths. Currently, production approaches 7,000 titles annually. The cultural battle for the language is also fought today in the audiovisual world. But written culture remains the foundation of everything. Where do we come from?

On March 9, 10 and 11, 1966, A heterogeneous group locked themselves inside the Capuchin monastery in Sarrià. They were students, intellectuals, artists, friars, and journalists who defied Franco and held out for three days in the convent. In February, they had announced far and wide the formation of the first Democratic Union of Students of the University of Barcelona (SDEUB). The posters revealed the date and their intentions, but not the location of the assembly, and the police were unable to find out. This Monday, some of those who had been locked away in 1966 returned to the convent for an event organized by the Laude collective. Among the audience that filled the convent's auditorium were former president José Montilla and former mayor of Barcelona, ​​Xavier Trias. Sixty years have passed, and many things have changed. Father Botam, who sheltered the students and prevented the Francoist police from entering, could not be present either, as he died more than two years ago. Three of the friars who were part of the community in 1966 are still alive. One of them is Enric Castells, who received a standing ovation this Monday. The other two are Father Lluís de Reus and Father Jordi Marquet, who cooked the lentils left in the kitchen so the police could enter before the students ate them. The memories and some ideas remain.