Barcelona & Catalonia Cinderellas

Yesterday, the Catalan city of Tarragona (100 km South of Barcelona)was nominated siege of the 2017 Mediterranean Games. An even held every 4 years in which all (or most)countries around this sea meet.

Tarragona, is an old city (even for European standards). Starting in 218 BC, as a Roman camp during the 2nd Punic War, it grew to become the "Urbs Triumfalis Tarraco", capital of the Roman Empire province Tarraconense and even of the whole Roman Empire, as Octavius Augustus lived there on the turn of the era.
Today, Tarragona is a thriving city with a powerful Chemical Industry nearby.
As you might guess, there are a lot of Romans remain: walls, aqueducts, forums, circus, amphitheater, and so on... Some of them have appeared on cinderellas:







But Tarragona is also a touristic place with nice promenades and good beaches.

Bravo for this thread.
Wife and I visited Barcelona last year. Every time
I see this thread and read the new posts it brings
back memories and makes me want to return.
It's good to see such a well developing collection of such
an obscure specialty. Reminds me there are many other
area with few, if any, collectors.

In May/june 1952 it was held in Barcelona the 25th International Eucharistic Congress. Used by Franco's regime to cleanse its bad (well deserved) international image. The undergroung Catalanist opposition, took also advantage to show the world, that Catalonia was still alive. For example a gigant Catalan flag was flown from the hills backing Barcelona, at the very moment went a big mass, attended by Franco himself, was being celebrated at Barcelona's main avenue.
To support this event a minisheet with four cinderellas well designed and printed (by the printer Oliva de Vilanova, responsible also for the Barcelona's local stamps)and two sepparate ones. The donative for the sheet was of 15 pta (today, 40 €) and for the two items, 0.5 pta (today 1 €) and 1 pta, corrected to 0.25 pta.

In July 1955 there were held in Barcelona the II Mediterranean Games. The cermonial was very much alike of the Olympic Games, which actually came from a Mediterranean country. For example instead of torch, an amfora was filled with seawatwer from Empuries, an 600 BC Greek colony 150 km North of Barcelona, was carried by relays to Barcelona, where it started a fountain in the Montjuïc Stadium, since 1992 also "Olympic".

Between May 26th and June 6th, there were held in Barcelona, the 10th World Roller Hockey Championship. In connection with that, there was also a Sports Philatelic Exhibition. "Incidentally", the main guvernative responsible for this event, was our fellow citizen Juan Antonio Samaranch, later to become COI President for some years, and an enthusiastic philatelist.






It was "cancelled" with a rubber mark,

A 1914 Esperanto cinderella, showing a view of Barcelona's cathedral with the city on the background.

Two cinderellas of the 2nd Mercantile and Colonial Geography Congress, held in 1913 in Barcelona. There can be seen a sailing ship with four crew and a text in old Catalan, saying: "Messer Peter's ships, sailed on Saint Lawrence's day, that is on August the 10th, of the year 1366 to go to the River of Gold". All numbers are in Roman figures, that is "X" for 10 and "MCCCLXVI" for 1366. The 14th century was the Golden Age of Catalan sailing.

Where is the 'River of Gold'? In Spain or elsewhere? The Nile perhaps?

I think that's in Africa's west coast. Perhaps, Gambia or Niger rivers. Middle age Catalan sailors were quite advanced. Some of the best early atlas were made in the Catalan isle of Majorca. Nile river was very well known. Our city of Barcelona , had by then even consuls in Alexandria, Tunis, Bizerta.
Actually, Catalans called "Riu de l'Or" (Gold's river) the Gambia River, on the West African coast.
By mid 14th century, Catalonia was the master of Sicily, Sardinia, Malta, Athens...
We use to say that not even a fish dared to swim on the Mediterranean sea without hosting our flag: "four blood bars on a golden field".

The latest, by now, cinderella issued in Barcelona. It was printed last week for the meeting in Barcelona of "AFINET" an Spanish speaking stamp internet forum. It shows the Post-free seal of the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exhibition.

Barcelona's Swimming Club, 50th anniversary in July 1957, cinderella designed by Amand Domènech (Barcelona, 1920-2002), printed by Casamajó (Barcelona)

A 1913 cinderella for the Barcelona's car show of that year. It was held in the "Turó Park" (still existing, allthough much reduced) between March 22nd and April 13th. Sorry, no data about the artist who drawn the cinderella.

Two more cars' related cinderellas. For the Grand Prix of Spain (today's F1) of years 1951 and 1954. Both events were held in the Pedralbes circuit of Barcelona; a suburban area by then, and a thriving universitary area today. Juan Manuel Fangio (Ferrari) won the 1951 race, and the world F1 championship; while Mike Hawtorn won the 1954 race.
Both items were printed by Seix I Barral (Barcelona). I've, so far, just found the first one author, J.A. García.

Spectacular GP stamps, Cursus.

25th Anniversary of the Photography Association of Catalonia, engraved by J. Ribot, shows the columns of Barcelona's Augustus Temple (1st c. AD)