The last 2000 years of Catalonian history has always featured power struggles and repression, with the area constantly having to reinvent itself.


711 Most of the Iberian Peninsula falls to the Arabs, who then proceeded to occupy it for nearly seven centuries. Soon after, the French revolt under the orders of Charlemagne and try to claim land back from the Arabs.
801 Barcelona is reclaimed by Charlemagne's son Louis. Pleased that the Arabs have been usurped, though tired of their Frankish overlords, the Catalans now revolt against the French under the lead of Carles el Calb, by refusing to pay money to the French. Eventually the matter is settled with a battle, where Carles's son, Guifé el Pilós, is mortally wounded. The heroic son leaves the Catalans with an image, which is now the symbol on their national flag: he plunges his hand into the wound in his chest, dragging his hand down his shield.
1100s Leon, Castile and Aragon start to forcefully push the Arabs out, Catalonia becomes a distinct country.
1157 One of the most important unions takes place, when the son of the King of Barcelona marries an Aragonese princess, thus not only joining the two houses, but also the whole of the north-eastern Mediterranean. The people now refer to themselves as Catalonian-Aragonese.
early 1200s Jaume I (1213-1276, Jaume the Conqueror) arrives, the architect of the Catalonian-Aragonese nations, later thought of as the Catalan national hero.
1229 Jaume I leads the expedition which see the recuperation of the Balearic Isles.
1233-45 Valencia is recaptured.
1235 Ibiza (Eivissa) recaptured.
The fours areas (Aragon, Catalonia, Kingdom of Valencia and Balearic Isles) now form a federation, the two common languages spoken being Catalan and Aragonese. The Corts Catalans were then institutionalised, this being a democratic system, which is the type of system always re-instituted whenever the Catalonians regain autonomy.
1412 Martin l'Humà, the last Count of Aragon, dies without an heir. Everyone is involved to try and solve this problem. The outcome is that a Castilian prince, Alfons el Magnanim, is put on the throne. Consequentially there is an attempt from then on to 'castilianize' Catalonia.
At that point in history, Castile's wealth per capita was lower than that of Venice, whereas the Catalans were very wealthy in comparison, having and empire which extended from Sardinia, Sicily, southern Italy, Naples to parts of north Africa and parts of Greece. Indeed two popes in the 15th century were from the wealthy Valencian Borja family: Calixtus III and Alexander VI. It was Alexander who endorsed Columbus' mission to the Americas in 1492. Interestingly many of the major writers in Europe during the late Middle Ages wrote in Catalan, such as Llull, March and Tirant lo Blanc.
Although the greatness of the Catalans eventually receded, how great they once were always remained in their collective memory.
End of the 1500s Alfonsos grandson marries a Castilian princess, thus uniting wealth and ending Castile's time as the 'poor relative'. By the 1600s, Castile had themselves become wealthy and had worldwide colonies. A viceroy was sent to preside over Catalonia, though the Catalans tried to resist this imposition.
1640 Catalans revolt to try and remove the pressure on France from Spain. Known as the Revolt of the Segadors. The current Catalan anthem is the 'Song of the Segadors'.
1645 30 years war. Portugal secedes from the Catholic monarchs, and the French try to seduce the Catalans to become and independent republic.
Spanish decide in 1660s that the part of Catalonia north of the Pyrenees should be France's responsibility, and that the rest of Catalonia should be its own autonomy. However, the War of Secession changed the plan.
~1700 Once again the Spanish throne is left without a clear successor. There are however two contenders: (1) a Bourbon (2) an Austrian Archduke from the Habsburg line. The latter is supported by Catalonia, Valencia and Balearic Isles, whereas the Bourbon is supported by the rest of the Spanish Peninsular.
1707/8 Valencia and Aragon fall to the French respectively.
1714 (11th Sept.) Siege of Barcelona and Catalonia falls. The Bourbon is crowned, now King Philip V of Spain. To this day Bourbon monarchs are on the Spanish throne, and 11th September is celebrated as Catalonia's national day. Philip is angry about the Catalan-speaking provinces not having supported his tender for the crown and seeks his revenge by proscribing the Catalan language in an attempt to eliminate them. Madrid is emphasized as being the leading administrative centre in Spain.
1800s At the beginning of the decade, Catalonia begins to industrialise and modernise, way in advance of the rest of Spain. Coal mining, textile, wine, glass and cork industries expand and Catalonia is brought yet again to the forefront of Europe. Spain on the other hand remain alarmingly agriculturally-based. The drastic recovery of its economy leads to a resurgence of local Catalan identity, culture and confidence. A new class of bourgeoisie is born amongst those who employed others and ran businesses.
1835 1st Catalan-language poem to be written in 2 centuries, proving the language did not die out as was hoped by King Philip. This initial sign leads to an entire cultural and literary recuperation, poetry being an educated form of expression. This is the beginning of the renaixença.
1859 Reinstitution of the Jocs Florals, primarily a poetry event which turned into an event representing all literary genres. A proud celebration of individuality.
1870-1900 'Gold fever' years which saw an incredible expansion of all industries and economies. Paradoxically, Spain was in decline, losing the last of it's territories in 1898 (Philippines and Cuba). Catalonia is now Spain's main money-maker, being so economically sound therefore having to pay larger relentless taxes to the central government and seeing practically no returns on their money, so the Catalonians decide to revolt.
1880- 1911 Modernisme
1911-1930 Noucentisme - The modern era gives way to a newer style, yet still keeping to the same philosophy as for modernisme, that of the extravagance and exuberance of expression, one where the individual and their ideas are prized above all else. A period of excesses Europe-wide and of not performing to the traditions and accepted paths. *Nietsche's philosophy of the individual.
1911 1st Catalan dictionary published
Lliga party comes into power under Prat de Ribera (it began to try and take control as early as 1906).
1913 Espriu born, Arenys
1915-25 Mancomunitat - 1st vestige of Catalonian re-independence (formed in 1913). The 4 provinces of Catalonia become one single unit, and the Mancomunitat begins to start sponsoring artists and writers to compose literature in Catalan in order to promote the region's heritage, culture, language and individuality.
1922 Fuster born, Sueca (Val.)
1917 1st Catalan grammar book published
1920s Calders born
1923 Catalan independence is no longer tolerated and the army stands in to preside over the state.
1923-30 Primo de Rivera becomes dictator and, as Philip V had done, proscribes the Catalan language in an attempt to suppress and/or eradicate the culture. Catalan as a language is once again being used as a political football.
1936-39 Spanish Civil War
1939 Spain's 2nd dictator, Franco, comes to power.
1939-45 Second World War
1962 'Diccionari per a los ociosos' written (Fuster)
1972 A few years before the death of Franco, Catalonians are once again permitted to legally use their language.
1976 Franco dies, his dictatorship thus coming to an end.