Landscape and national identity in Catalonia

Landscape is the result of a collective transformation of nature. It is the cultural translation of a society on a particular portion of nature, and this translation is not only material, but also spiritual, ideological and symbolic. In this sense, landscape acts as a centre of meaning and symbolism, and creates a sense of belonging and a territorial identity that is particularly strong in some nations. This paper analyses the relevant role of landscape in the creation of national identity in Catalonia, from a historical and contemporary perspective. The historical perspective analyses this role at the dawn of Catalan nationalism in the late 19th century, and, in this context, stresses the importance of mountainous landscapes in the process of forming the Catalan nation. The contemporary perspective centres on the existence of two current “discourses” linked to the territory and the landscape, the legacy of the two main cultural discourses in nineteenth century Catalonia: the romantic “Modernista” movement and the more realistic, pragmatic “Noucentista” movement. These two discourses enjoyed a peaceful coexistence up until recently, but now, after two decades of nationalist government over a period of great economic development, the inherent contradictions are beginning to emerge and give rise to unprecedented territorial conflicts. This paper sets out to show how landscape, seen as the cultural projection of a society on a certain space, becomes a fundamental element in the creation process of a national identity, in this case the Catalan identity, both in its late 19th century origins and in its present form. In this context, we would like to stress the importance of mountainous landscapes in the formative process of the Catalan nation. Like other nations that began to structure their identity discourse in political and cultural terms at that time, the interpretation and use of the landscape in Catalonia are rooted in readings and meanings of “Modernista” romanticism. However, the equally rhetorical but much more useful “Noucentista” vision soon appeared as a justification for the transformation of the territory. The article charts the course of these two discourses and their singular interaction in Catalonia. The first section shows how the subject of nationalism is approached through political geography and the second section gives an overview of the relationship between landscape and identity. Finally, the epilogue proposes a reading of the contemporary territorial and landscape conflicts in Catalonia that have emerged now that the “Modernista” and “Noucentista” visions have outrun their course of peaceful coexistence.