Renaixença
Encyclopedia
The Renaixença was an early 19th century late romantic
revivalist
movement in Catalan language
and culture, akin to the Galician Rexurdimento
or the Occitan Félibrige
movements. The first stimuli of the movement date of the 1830s
and 1840s
, but the Renaixença stretches up into the 1880s
, until it branched out into other cultural movements. Even though it primarily follows a romantic impulse, it incorporates stylistic and philosophical elements of other 19th century movements, such as Naturalism or Symbolism
. The name doesn't indicate a particular style, but rather just the cultural circumstances in which it bloomed.
, this movement ended a period of Catalan cultural decline commonly known as Decadència, that dated back at least to defeat in the War of the Spanish Succession
(1701–1714) and the subsequent Nueva Planta decrees
, which suppressed Catalonia
's traditional institutions, privileges, and fuero
s beginning January 16, 1716. Thus, the aim of this movement was the full restoration of Catalan as a language of culture, not only through the promotion of various forms of art
, theatre
and literature
in this language, but also attempting to establish a normative standard for the language, something however not fully accomplished until the first quarter of the 20th century.
As with most of the other Romantic movements, it was noted for its admiration of the Middle Ages
, which was often reflected in art, and in Barcelona
, the literary contest known as Jocs Florals or Jocs de la Gaia Ciència was revived.
The Renaixença occurred not only in Catalonia proper, but also in other Catalan-speaking regions such as the Balearic Islands
.
A journal particularly associated with the movement was the magazine La Reinaxença, from which the name was actually taken - originally spelt Renaixensa before the Fabrian
spelling reform
.
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
revivalist
Romantic nationalism
Romantic nationalism is the form of nationalism in which the state derives its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs...
movement in Catalan language
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
and culture, akin to the Galician Rexurdimento
Rexurdimento
The Rexurdimento was a period in the History of Galicia during the 19th century. Its central feature was the revitalization of the Galician language as a vehicle of social and cultural expression after the so-called séculos escuros , in which the dominance of Castilian Spanish was nearly complete...
or the Occitan Félibrige
Félibrige
The Félibrige is a literary and cultural association founded by Frédéric Mistral and other Provençal writers to defend and promote Occitan language and literature...
movements. The first stimuli of the movement date of the 1830s
1830s
- Wars :* The First Opium War between the United Kingdom and the Qing Empire of China started in 1839. It would end three years later with the signing of the Treaty of Nanking on 29 August 1842.- Internal conflicts :* French Revolution of 1830...
and 1840s
1840s
- Wars :*Mexican-American War was fought between Mexico and the United States of America. The latter emerged victorious and gained undisputed control over Texas while annexing portions of Arizona, California and New Mexico....
, but the Renaixença stretches up into the 1880s
1880s
The 1880s was the decade that spanned from January 1, 1880 to December 31, 1889. They occurred at the core period of the Second Industrial Revolution. Most Western countries experienced a large economic boom, due to the mass production of railroads and other more convenient methods of travel...
, until it branched out into other cultural movements. Even though it primarily follows a romantic impulse, it incorporates stylistic and philosophical elements of other 19th century movements, such as Naturalism or Symbolism
Symbolism (arts)
Symbolism was a late nineteenth-century art movement of French, Russian and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts. In literature, the style had its beginnings with the publication Les Fleurs du mal by Charles Baudelaire...
. The name doesn't indicate a particular style, but rather just the cultural circumstances in which it bloomed.
Overview
Along with the later modernismeModernisme
Modernisme was a cultural movement associated with the search for Catalan national identity. It is often understood as an equivalent to a number of fin-de-siècle art movements, such as Art Nouveau, Jugendstil, Secessionism, and Liberty style, and was active from roughly 1888 to 1911 Modernisme ...
, this movement ended a period of Catalan cultural decline commonly known as Decadència, that dated back at least to defeat in the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
(1701–1714) and the subsequent Nueva Planta decrees
Nueva Planta decrees
The Nueva Planta decrees were a number of decrees signed between 1707 and 1716 by Philip V—the first Bourbon king of Spain—during and shortly after the end of the War of the Spanish Succession which he won....
, which suppressed Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
's traditional institutions, privileges, and fuero
Fuero
Fuero , Furs , Foro and Foru is a Spanish legal term and concept.The word comes from Latin forum, an open space used as market, tribunal and meeting place...
s beginning January 16, 1716. Thus, the aim of this movement was the full restoration of Catalan as a language of culture, not only through the promotion of various forms of art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
and literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
in this language, but also attempting to establish a normative standard for the language, something however not fully accomplished until the first quarter of the 20th century.
As with most of the other Romantic movements, it was noted for its admiration of the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, which was often reflected in art, and in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, the literary contest known as Jocs Florals or Jocs de la Gaia Ciència was revived.
The Renaixença occurred not only in Catalonia proper, but also in other Catalan-speaking regions such as the Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
.
A journal particularly associated with the movement was the magazine La Reinaxença, from which the name was actually taken - originally spelt Renaixensa before the Fabrian
Pompeu Fabra
Pompeu Fabra i Poch was a Catalan grammarian, the main author of the normative reform of contemporary Catalan language....
spelling reform
Spelling reform
Many languages have undergone spelling reform, where a deliberate, often officially sanctioned or mandated, change to spelling takes place. Proposals for such reform are also common....
.
Notable individuals related to Renaixença
- Bonaventura Carles AribauBonaventura Carles AribauBonaventura Carles Aribau was a Spanish writer, politician and economist....
, writer. - His poem Oda a la pàtria is usually acknowledged to have kick-started the movement. - Manuel Milà i FontanalsManuel Milà i FontanalsManuel Milà i Fontanals was a Catalan scholar. He was born at Vilafranca del Penedès, near Barcelona, and was educated first in Barcelona, and afterwards at the University of Cervera....
, linguist, philologist and troubadourTroubadourA troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
literature scholar, of great influence and one of the main initiators of the Renaixença. - Joan MaragallJoan MaragallJoan Maragall i Gorina was a Catalan poet, journalist and translator, the foremost member of the modernisme movement in literature.-Life:...
, poet, translator from Greek and German, journalist and essayist. - Jacint Verdarguer, poet, penned L'AtlàntidaL'AtlàntidaL'Atlàntida is an 1877 poem in Catalan by Jacint Verdaguer. It comprises an introduction, ten books, and a conclusion, dealing with the wanderings of Heracles in the Iberian Peninsula, the sinking of the continent of Atlantis, the creation of the Mediterranean Sea, and the discovery of the...
and the Catalan national epic, Canigó. - Àngel GuimeràÀngel GuimeràÀngel Guimerà i Jorge was a Spanish Canarian writer, born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, to a Catalan father and a Canary islander mother...
, playwright. - Narcís OllerNarcís OllerNarcís Oller i Moragas was a Catalan author, most noted for the novels La papallona which appeared with a foreword by Émile Zola in the French translation; his most well-known work L'Escanyapobres ; and La febre d'or which is set in Barcelona during the period of promoterism.He...
, novelist heavily influenced by Émile ZolaÉmile ZolaÉmile François Zola was a French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism...
's naturalismNaturalism (literature)Naturalism was a literary movement taking place from the 1880s to 1940s that used detailed realism to suggest that social conditions, heredity, and environment had inescapable force in shaping human character...
, chronicled the Industrial RevolutionIndustrial RevolutionThe Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, society and changing mindsets in his novels. - Frederic Soler, known as Pitarra, playwright who favoured colloquial Catalan of his time over more classical conventions.
- Joaquim Rubió i Ors, poet, his moniker to be variously written as Lo Gayté del Llobregat, El Gaiter del Llobregat, among others (depending on the spelling used)
- Víctor Català (real name Caterina Albert i Paradís), symbolist writer.
- Martí Genís i Aguilar, writer.
- Antoni Puig i Blanch, poet.
- Francesc Camprodon, poet.
- Víctor BalaguerVictor BalaguerVíctor Balaguer , Catalan Spanish politician and author, was born at Barcelona on 11 December 1824, and was educated at the university of his native city....
, writer. Used the pseudonym Lo trovador de Montserrat.
External links
- Renaixença, from the Nou diccionari 62 de la literatura catalana (2000). Page also contains extensive links to other reference-quality material. In Catalan.
- Renaixença, civisme i nacionalisme on the site of the Museu d'Història de Catalunya. In Catalan.
- La Renaixença. In Catalan.