{"id":235683,"date":"2026-04-20T10:00:47","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T08:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.barcelonina.com\/?p=235683"},"modified":"2026-04-10T12:46:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T10:46:34","slug":"sant-jordi-the-epicenter-of-love-and-literature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.barcelonina.com\/en\/blog\/sant-jordi-the-epicenter-of-love-and-literature\/","title":{"rendered":"Sant Jordi: The Epicenter of Love and Literature"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Caveat||||||||” text_font_size=”25px” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]The featured image is an illustration by Haninabz<\/a>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

For those following Barcelonina.com<\/b><\/a>, April 23rd\u2014Sant Jordi\u2019s Day\u2014is not just a date; it is a cultural phenomenon that transforms Barcelona into the world\u2019s largest open-air bookshop and florist. While Valentine\u2019s Day focuses on romantic love, Sant Jordi celebrates love in a broader sense:<\/strong> love for partners, for family, for heritage, and, crucially, for culture.<\/p>\n

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The Historical roots: From legend to identity<\/h2>\n

The legend of Saint George (Sant Jordi) slaying a dragon to save a princess is shared by many cultures, from England to Georgia. However, in Catalonia, it became a cornerstone of national identity during the 19th-century Renaixen\u00e7a<\/i> (Renaissance). The tradition of giving a rose dates back to the 15th century, but the inclusion of the book was a brilliant marketing move in the 1920s that turned into a deeply rooted tradition. In 1995, UNESCO was so inspired by the Catalan Sant Jordi that they declared April 23rd as “World Book and Copyright Day.”<\/p>\n

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Mind-blowing statistics<\/h2>\n

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The sheer scale of the day is hard to grasp without numbers. Imagine over 7 million roses<\/b> sold in 24 hours\u2014that\u2019s nearly one rose for every inhabitant of Catalonia! As for books, more than 1.8 million copies<\/b> fly off the shelves. For many local bookstores, Sant Jordi accounts for nearly 10% of their annual revenue<\/b>. The streets are organized into “professional zones” where thousands of authors, from local poets to international stars like Ken Follett or Jo Nesbo, sit for hours signing books for enthusiastic fans.<\/p>\n

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Barcelonina\u2019s Insider Tips: Escape the Crowds<\/h2>\n

To experience the magic without the claustrophobia of the city center, head to the Horta Labyrinth Park<\/b>. These neoclassical gardens provide a romantic, mythological backdrop perfect for an afternoon of reading. Another hidden gem is the Pavellons G\u00fcell<\/b> by Gaud\u00ed; the dragon gate there is the perfect place to remember the legend while avoiding the tourist traps. Finally, visit the Jardins de la Tamarita<\/b> in the upper part of the city\u2014a quiet, elegant spot where you can enjoy the spring air and your new rose in peace.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_cta title=”Would you like to know more about our tradiditons?” button_url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9saW5rX3VybF9wYWdlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsicG9zdF9pZCI6IjIzNDQxMiJ9fQ==@” button_text=”Explore our tours” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _dynamic_attributes=”button_url” _module_preset=”default” body_font=”Caveat||||||||” body_font_size=”30px” border_radii=”off|100px||100px|100px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

We propose unique and signature tours about Barcelona and Catalonia to dive into the fascinating history of the regions. Unforgettable experiences just one click away !<\/p>\n

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The featured image is an illustration by HaninabzFor those following Barcelonina.com, April 23rd\u2014Sant Jordi\u2019s Day\u2014is not just a date; it is a cultural phenomenon that transforms Barcelona into the world\u2019s largest open-air bookshop and florist. While Valentine\u2019s Day focuses on romantic love, Sant Jordi celebrates love in a broader sense: love for partners, for family, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":235687,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[372],"tags":[13504,13502,13503],"yst_prominent_words":[879,2046,1832,1830,972,10976,2277],"class_list":["post-235683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-traditions","tag-legend-of-sant-jordi","tag-sant-jordi","tag-sant-jordi-in-barcelona"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barcelonina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barcelonina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barcelonina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcelonina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcelonina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=235683"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcelonina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":235700,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcelonina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235683\/revisions\/235700"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcelonina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/235687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barcelonina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=235683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcelonina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=235683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcelonina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=235683"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barcelonina.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=235683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}