The Catalan State ( es, Estado Catalán; ca, Estat Català) was a short-lived state proclaimed in 1873, during the

First Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic ( es, República Española), historiographically referred to as the First Spanish Republic, was the political regime that existed in Spain from 11 February 1873 to 29 December 1874. The Republic's founding ensued after th ...

, by the Provincial Deputation of Barcelona. It included the four provinces of

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the nort ...

and the Balearic Islands.

History

On 18 May 1869 the representatives of the federal-republican committees of Aragon, Catalonia,

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is also the capital of the province of the same name. The wider urban area al ...

and the Balearic Islands had signed the Federal Pact of Tortosa to work together in order to establish the Spanish Federal Republic, making it clear that they would defend the unity of Spain. The Catalan State within the Spanish Federal Republic was proclaimed in Barcelona on 9 March 1873. It was a republican federalist proclamation, not a separatist one. The Provincial Deputation of Barcelona elected the republican federalist Baldomer Lostau i Prats as the provisional president of the State. After the president of the First Spanish Republic,

Estanislao Figueras Estanislao Figueras y de Moragas ( ca, Estanislau Figueras i de Moragas ; 13 November 1819 – 11 November 1882) was a Spanish politician who served as the first President of the First Spanish Republic from 12 February to 11 June 1873. Figuera ...

, and the head of the federal party,

Francesc Pi i Margall Francesc Pi i Margall (Spanish: Francisco Pi y Margall) (29 April 1824 – 29 November 1901) was a Spanish federalist and republican politician and theorist who served as president of the short-lived First Spanish Republic in 1873. He was a ...

, promised the dissolution of the Spanish army in Catalonia, the proclamation was revoked.

Flag

A Spanish-language newspaper published in Paris, ', quoting the ''

Diario de Barcelona The ''Diario de Barcelona'' (catalán: ''Diari de Barcelona'') (The Barcelona Journal) was a newspaper founded in 1792 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. With a few interruptions it was published in paper form until 1994, and in digital form until ...

'', described a flag flown from Barcelona City Hall on 12 February 1873 (the day after the proclamation of the Spanish Republic) as follows:

The federal flag of Catalonia, which was flown from the City Hall, was red with a white triangle, in which was written in red letters, "." Surrounding it were several white stars, and in large letters the word "".

Le Monde illustré ''Le Monde illustré'' (title translation: ''The Illustrated World'') was a leading illustrated news magazine in France which was published from 1857–1940 and again from 1945 to 1956. It was in many ways similar to its contemporary English ...

described the carrying of red flags in Madrid as well as Barcelona on 11 February, and illustrated one such flag with a white triangle in the centre.

References

{{interwiki extra, qid=Q2888495 States and territories established in 1873 History of Catalonia Politics of Catalonia Former countries in Spanish history 1873 disestablishments in Europe 1873 establishments in Spain First Spanish Republic Federalism in Spain