The president of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Salvador Illa, will make a two-day visit to Extremadura on Wednesday and Thursday, 16 and 17 September 2026. According to the Catalan government spokesperson, an institutional event is planned in Mérida to mark the Diada ; the visit begins with a stop in La Zarza (Badajoz province) on Monumento al Emigrante. This year, the Generalitat is putting the historic links between Extremadura and Catalonia at the heart of its Diada activities.
The guiding theme is the emigration of many people from Extremadura to Catalonia in the 20th century. In La Zarza, the Monumento al Emigrante, a bronze sculpture by the artist Javier Guerrero González-Piñero, commemorates this history. In Mérida, a screening is planned of El 47, a film about the life of Manolo Vital who moved from Extremadura to Barcelona as a young man, founded the first neighbourhood association in Nou Barris and became a leading figure in local civic initiatives. The official event is due to take place after the screening.
The Generalitat says it chose Extremadura because of its “shared ties”: in the post-war decades, tens of thousands of people from south-western Spain found work in Catalan industrial plants, shaping neighbourhoods, associations and culture. Events in La Zarza and Mérida are intended to honour this history of migration and highlight the close social ties that remain today.
Positive signals about the programme’s direction have come from Extremadura. According to consistent media reports, the Generalitat is coordinating the details with local authorities. Official information on attendees and speeches was still unavailable on Sunday; changes to the protocol remain possible until the events begin.
Diada, Catalonia’s national day, is traditionally celebrated on 11 September. However, institutional events, exhibitions and accompanying cultural programmes regularly run over several days. The newly announced events in Extremadura on 16 and 17 September form part of this extended programme. For now, activities are centred on La Zarza and Mérida; additional events in Catalonia are taking place separately.
The announcement is based on statements from the Govern and regional and national reports, which consistently give the dates, locations and main themes. Further details of the programme may be published at short notice.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).