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101-508: Terra Lliure, became known to the public with a protest at a mass meeting at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona in 1981. An important police raid in 1991 and the renunciation of violence by some of the group members led to the dissolution of Terra Lliure in 1995. After disbanding, many members joined the political party Republican Left of Catalonia . During the most active period of its activity it

202-517: A veguer appointed by the King of Aragon as Count of Barcelona. In Northern Catalonia, the vegueries followed closely the boundaries of the old counties. The district of Capcir was a sotsvegueria , based around the castle of Puigbalador (French: Puyvalador ) but subordinate to the vegueria of Conflent . The Treaty of Corbeil (1258) confirmed the frontier between the lands of the Kingdom of France and

303-568: A ceasefire with the Spanish government and stated that its members would join the Catalan Republican Left to fight for independent Catalonia through non-violent means. Despite this, the Spanish government continued to hunt members of the organization, and Spanish authorities organized Operation Garzón in 1992, a preventine manhunt that was criticized for human rights activists for "indiscriminate arrests and extensive tortures that brought back

404-526: A certain historical and geographical unity. A commonly used division is that of Joan Becat in his 1977 work Atles de Catalunya Nord , which follows closely the boundaries of the former vegueries except insofar as it promotes the former sotsvegueria of Capcir (177 km , pop.  1532 (1990) ) to a full comarca . The region is divided among those who support a union with France and those who support reuniting with Catalonia . A large majority of Northern Catalans oppose reuniting with Catalonia, but

505-805: A continuation of Francoism and its repressive structures. Politically, Terra Lliure emerged from a split in the Socialist Party of National Liberation ( Catalan : Partit Socialista d’Alliberament Nacional dels Països Catalans , PSAN), a pro-independence party with a Marxist-Leninist ideology created in 1969 and based in Catalonia and the Valencian Community, and the Independentists of the Catalan Countries ( Catalan : Independentistes dels Països Catalans , IPC) party, which emerged in Catalonia and

606-592: A crowd of 99,124, setting a new record for attendance at a domestic rugby union match. On 18 May 2019, the first Super League game in Spain was hosted Camp Nou. The Catalans Dragons defeated the Wigan Warriors 33–16. This match set the Super League attendance record for a non- Magic Weekend , regular season fixture, attracting 31,555 fans. In 2022, Barcelona had the largest known attendances for women's football since

707-469: A nationalist movement in French Catalonia. According to a 2020 study, French Catalans experienced mass education in the second half of the 19th century, leading them to adopt French patriotism. Catalans in Spain were mass educated in the early 20th century locally by Catalans and not by a strong Spanish state, which led to the formation of a salient Catalan national identity. In 2016, Northern Catalonia

808-465: A new press area, new markers and the construction of the third tier, which was smaller in height than the original design by 6 metres (46.60 metres compared to the original design of 52.50 metres). The expansion of the stadium added 22,150 new seats, taking the total seating capacity to 71,731, and the standing capacity was expanded by 16,500 to 49,670, taking the total stadium capacity (seated and standing combined) to 121,401. Barcelona's record attendance

909-567: A people." Terra Lliure described Catalonia as "subject to continued aggression from the Spanish and French oligarchies and the regional bourgeoise, that endanger everything that constitutes our national heritage: land, work, language, customs. Not only do they call into question our national identity, but also our survival as [the] people who [make up] Catalan society." Terra Lliure argued that class and national liberation were inextricable from each other and could only be achieved through armed struggle. The party accused Spain of "attempted annihilation of

1010-567: A period of certain economic hardship, Finally, the head of state and of the Spanish government at the time, the dictator Francisco Franco , authorised the requalification of the land at Les Corts and put an end to the crisis of the Barcelona club. During the course of the Camp Nou construction work, La Masia served as a workshop for making the models and a workplace for architects and builders. The architects were Francesc Mitjans and Josep Soteras, with

1111-575: A plan of action in view of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics , which was not approved by all members of the organisation due to the deep crisis that already existed within the Catalan pro-independence movement and which led the organisation to enter a period of less combativeness from the 1990s onwards, carrying out very few armed actions. The year 1987 was a turning point because of the actions of ETA and Terra Lliure itself - that year, Terra Lliure caused its only civilian fatality in an attack on 10 September 1987, when

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1212-549: A police raid after a bomb attack in Vic , Barcelona . In July 1992, under an order of judge Baltasar Garzón , police arrested around 40 of members of the group. Years later, the European Court of Human Rights ordered the Spanish government to compensate some of the arrested people for failing to investigate allegations of torture during the raid. The following years, the group did not commit any attack and announced its dissolution on

1313-463: A powerful force in Spanish politics and take power in the upcoming regional elections, leading many Catalan nationalists to embrace reformist and Spanish democracy. The Catalan statute of autonomy also proved popular, with 53% of voters supporting it in October 1979 (with a 60% turnout). In the 1980 Catalan elections, the centrist Convergence and Union (CiU) unexpectedly won with 28% of the vote, ahead of

1414-522: A railway line still links the two cities via Latour-de-Carol ( Catalan : La Tor de Querol ). Northern Catalonia formed part of the southern counties of the Frankinsh Empire (historiographycally known as the Marca Hispanica ), established by Charlemagne as a buffer territory against Al-Andalus forces. As such, it was divided into feudal counties, Rosselló , Vallespir , Conflent north of

1515-554: A regional political party's dependence on the central party). Despite calling for "Països Catalans", Terra Lliure envisioned that Greater Catalonia would be further separated, either through federalization or subsequent separatism, into regions "with different languages", with the Valencian language being cited as an example. According to Terra Lliure, these languages were forced to communicate in Spanish, and Spanish assimilationist policies resulted in fragmentation of Catalan society, where

1616-513: A small faction of PSAN that endorsed violent tactics despite the end of Francoism, arguing that a "symbolic" damage is necessary in order to assist and bring about national and class liberation. As small Catalan terrorist cells coalesced around Terra Liure and started its activities in 1979, the movement struggled with lack of support and popularity as the sociopolitical conditions were no longer favorable to violent tactics. The exiled regional government of Catalonia officially returned in late 1977 and

1717-559: A third of Fenolheda (not part of the province of Roussillon). The arrondissement of Céret covers the whole of Vallespir but also the Côte Vermeille ( Costa Vermella ), which was historically under the control of the counts and veguers of Rosselló at Perpinyà (Perpignan). Catalan writers sometimes speak of the " comarques of Northern Catalonia" . Unlike the autonomous community of Catalonia , these comarques have no administrative significance, although they usually correspond to

1818-461: A tree and shot him in the knee, but allowed him to be rescued. Terra Lliure called their attack a "retaliation for activities against the Catalan language". Despite struggling to gain widespread approval for its radical militancy amongst the Catalan public before, Terra Lliure's attack on Jiménez was not met with outrage as the overwhelming majority of Catalans were strongly critical of the Manifesto of

1919-482: Is also served by several TMB bus routes, an AMB line, and four Nitbus services. Apart from regular routes, there are two special lines to Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer Square and to Catalonia Square on days with matches. The stadium is located 13.7 kilometres (8.5 mi) from the El Prat International Airport . It is connected by L9 from the airport directly to Collblanc , which is a short walk from

2020-473: Is serving as Barcelona's home ground. The construction of the Camp Nou started on 28 March 1954 as Barcelona's previous stadium, Camp de Les Corts , had no room for expansion. Although originally planned to be called the Estadi del FC Barcelona, the more popular name Camp Nou ("new field") was used. The June 1950 signing of László Kubala , regarded as one of Barcelona's greatest players, provided further impetus to

2121-586: Is sometimes used. Northern Catalonia forms a triangle between the Pyrenees to the south, the Corbières Massif to the north-west and the Mediterranean Sea to the east. The Roussillon plain in the east, by far the most populated area, is formed by the flood plains of the rivers Tech , Têt , and Agly ( Catalan : Tec, Tet, Aglí ). The districts of Vallespir and Conflent cover the upper valleys of

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2222-409: Is taken into account, and is the only major administrative and service center. Major road and rail links run north–south through Northern Catalonia between France and Spain, while a railway line also links Perpignan to Latour-de-Carol (Catalan: La Tor de Querol ) via Prades (Catalan: Prada de Conflent or Prada ). Haute-Cerdagne ( Catalan : Alta Cerdanya ) is geographically distinct from

2323-586: The Catalan People's Army (EPOCA) , the Catalan Liberation Front (FAC) or political organizations such as the Socialist Party of National Liberation (PSAN) and Catalan Countries' Independentists . In 1979, Terra Lliure started its armed activities and two of its members died that year, one in a shootout with Civil Guard members and another one blew up himself. Terra Lliure's best known action

2424-661: The 1971 Women's World Cup final, Mexico – Denmark (110,000), at the Azteca Stadium . Real Madrid and Wolfsburg were the visiting teams at Camp Nou in the Women's Champions League (91,553 and 91,648). The stadium is accessible from the Barcelona Metro with the closest stations to Camp Nou are Palau Reial , Maria Cristina and Les Corts , on L3 ; Badal on L5 and Collblanc on L5 or L9 . All are 500 to 1,000 metres (0.31 to 0.62 miles) from Camp Nou, depending on which of

2525-432: The 1982 FIFA World Cup (including the opening game), half of the four matches at the 1964 European Nations' Cup , and the football tournament 's final at the 1992 Summer Olympics . Renovation of the stadium commenced after the end of the 2022–2023 season . Final completion of all renovations is scheduled for June 2026, although the club may return before that date. During the renovation, Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys

2626-578: The 2015–16 Top 14 final would be held at the Camp Nou on 24 June 2016. The Top 14 final is traditionally held at the Stade de France in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis . However, the scheduling of the 2015 Rugby World Cup caused the 2015–16 French season to be shifted by several weeks, in turn causing the Stade de France to be unavailable because it would be a major venue for UEFA Euro 2016 . The match ultimately drew

2727-454: The 2017 Catalan independence referendum . Catalan is spoken in all regions of Northern Catalonia except for Fenolleda which speaks the related (and mutually intelligible) Occitan language . In Perpignan , where a quarter of the population lives, 44% know the Catalan language. The Catalan folk dance Sardana is a dance in the region. Northern Catalans support the USAP rugby union team and

2828-519: The Catalan Unity political party promotes the idea. The party has had some success since 1993, winning seats in municipal elections . It is now the most popular Catalan nationalist party in the region. Northern Catalans are proud of their Catalan heritage and have developed a "Northern Catalan" identity. However, unlike their Southern neighbors in Spanish Catalonia, the Catalan identity is not

2929-669: The Catalans Dragons rugby league team. There are four castells (Catalan human towers) teams in Northern Catalonia. French is the only official language in France as a whole, and therefore of these municipalities. Catalan , in its Northern Catalan variety, is however recognized as a regional language by the region of Languedoc-Roussillon which contains Northern Catalunya; this recognition provides cultural support in education and public media, with some more regional power since

3030-476: The Communauté d'agglomération Têt Méditerranée , created in 2001. Enclaved in the southwest of the département there is the Spanish ( Catalonia ) exclave of Llívia . As is common, the present-day arrondissements do not correspond to pre- Revolutionary boundaries. The arrondissement of Prades ( Prada ) covers the whole of Haute-Cerdagne ( Alta Cerdanya ) and Conflent (including Capcir ), as well as about

3131-503: The Principality of Catalonia until they were given to France by Spain. The equivalent term in French , Catalogne du Nord , is used nowadays, although less often than the more politically neutral Roussillon (Catalan: Rosselló ); Roussillon, though, historically did not comprise Vallespir , Conflent and Cerdagne ( Cerdanya ). The term Pays Catalan ( País Català ), "Catalan Country"

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3232-465: The stadium with the largest capacity in Spain and Europe , and the second largest association football stadium in the world . Camp Nou has hosted two European Cup/Champions League finals in 1989 and 1999 , two European Cup Winners' Cup finals , four Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final games, five UEFA Super Cup games, four Copa del Rey finals, two Copa de la Liga finals, and twenty-one Supercopa de España finals. It also hosted five matches in

3333-420: The "Catalan working people" ( poble treballador català ) were now alienated in their own homeland by privileged Spanish speakers. In its program, Terra Lliure also decried the decline of traditional Catalan industries, environmental destruction, and state-sanctioned repression. Through this, the organization also had protectionist, environmentalist and anarchist overtones (with anarchism being represented by some of

3434-506: The 1995 National Day of Catalonia . Camp Nou Camp Nou ( Catalan pronunciation: [ˌkamˈnɔw] ), meaning New Field and often referred to in English as the Nou Camp , is a stadium in Barcelona and the home of La Liga club Barcelona since its opening in 1957. It is currently undergoing renovation, and with a planned increased seating capacity of 105,000 it will be

3535-416: The 2,300 signed and organized by Jiménez. The Catalan public vehemently rejected the claim that Spanish speakers were discriminated against, and Catalan newspapers unanimously condemned the manifesto. The University of Barcelona organized a counter-declaration "in defense of the Catalan language, culture, and nation", which was endorsed by over 1300 Catalan institutions and voluntary associations. This sparked

3636-500: The 2008 financial crisis, the sale of the training ground was postponed, and likewise the remodeling project. In May 2010, Sandro Rosell , then a candidate for president of Barcelona, dismissed the possibility of selling the Mini Estadi, saying it would be indefensible to "sell the crown jewels", and his election on 30 June 2010 effectively halted the plan to remodel the Camp Nou. In January 2014, Barcelona's board of directors rejected

3737-517: The Camp Nou is home to the Catalan team . The stadium is frequently used for other football events. The European Cup final between Milan and Steaua București was held on 24 May 1989, with the Italian club winning 4–0. The Camp Nou hosted part of the football competition, including the final, in the 1992 Summer Olympics . In preparation for these matches, two additional tiers of seating were installed over

3838-551: The Camp Nou stadium. In 1982, Terra Lliure held its first assembly, while it continued its armed campaign against Spanish and French interests, bank offices and other administrations. A second assembly was held in 1984 and the group started publishing official statements and claimed actions that they carried out through the Alerta magazine. In 1985 and 1985, two more members died while carrying explosive devices. Between 1984 and 1989 some of Terra Lliure's leaders were arrested, nevertheless

3939-453: The Camp Nou. The plan included the addition of roughly 6,000 seats, for a maximum capacity of 105,000, at an estimated cost of €250 million. The Barcelona board approved the sale of their former training ground (the Mini Estadi ) against significant opposition in order to finance the remodeling. The project was planned to begin in 2009 and to be finished for the 2011–12 season. However, due to

4040-596: The Catalan National Liberation Movement. In July 1991, Terra Lliure announced it was declaring a ceasefire and that some of its members would start joining the Republican Left of Catalonia. Despite that, some cells kept carrying out attacks, especially due to the proximity to the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992. Also in 1991, a former member of Terra Lliure, who had joined ETA , was killed in

4141-511: The Catalan nation" and warned of the loss of national consciousness and replacement of Catalan cultures through the hegemonic culture of Spain. It warned that disappearance of Catala language from public use meant that the "Catalan culture was reduced to catacombs". Terra Lliure also argued that democratized Spain continues "attempts at cultural and national genocide" and stated its belief that the prevalence of Spanish language in Catalonia must be prevented and fought against, writing: "We do not accept

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4242-569: The Cementiri and the Maternitat. The commission dedicated to the project recommended another location in February 1951. The official purchase took place two years later. The appointment of Francesc Miró-Sans as president of Barcelona, on 14 November 1953, was to relaunch the project. Invested in February of the following year, Miró-Sans decided in favour of the land acquired in 1950, and the first stone of

4343-659: The Crown of Aragon as the Cerbères , leaving the Occitan district of Fenolheda to France. On the death of King James I the Conqueror in 1276, Northern Catalonia was combined with the Balearic Isles to form a new Kingdom of Majorca , which passed to James II while the rest of the territory of the Crown of Aragon passed to his brother Peter III . This division satisfied neither branch of

4444-592: The Pyrenees and Cerdanya to the south. By the end of the ninth century, these counties had gained de facto independence from the Carolingian kings and operated as princely states (whose rulers nevertheless retained the title of count). As the seigneury of the counties became hereditary, the total number of Catalan counts fell steadily. One individual often had the charge of several counties, but these were not always transmitted based on primogeniture . Hence Count Miró II

4545-675: The Tech and the Têt respectively. The massif of the Canigou ( Catalan : Canigó ), 2785 m, dominates much of the territory. The climate is of the Mediterranean type , with hot, dry summers and winters which are relatively mild, at least on the Roussillon plain where snow is rare. The city of Perpignan ( Catalan : Perpinyà ) accounts for over a quarter of the population, over one-third of its urban area

4646-532: The Terra Lliure organisation always described its activity as "armed propaganda". This concept was used as a euphemism to express the low intensity of the organisation's actions, implying that it did not seek to attack human lives or carry out indiscriminate armed actions. Shortly after this assembly, the police discovered a cache of explosives and weapons in the Collserola mountain range outside Barcelona, which led to

4747-590: The Young , third son of Wilfred I the Hairy , inherited the counties of Cerdanya and Conflent from his father in 897, and the counties of Besalú and Vallespir from his elder brother Sunyer I when the latter became Count of Barcelona in 911. The Counts of Rosselló , in alliance with their cousins the Counts of Empuriés , tried to resist this dilution of their power. However, the Counts of Barcelona steadily gained suzerainty over

4848-591: The basic principles of Christianity". The commitment of the Catholic Church to preserve the Catalan language and aid anti-Francoist resistance earned the respect of Catalan Communists who abandoned the traditional Catalan anti-clericalism and instead "began to see the Church as a potential ally". Terra Lliure sought to continue the link between Catalan socialists and the Catholic clergy, seeing the post-Francoist Spain as merely

4949-603: The bloodiest attack in the history of ETA and the second most serious in the history of Spain after the attack of 11 March 2004 in Madrid . The Hipercor attack, together with the subsequent attack on the Civil Guard barracks in Vic ( Osona ) on 29 May 1991, in which 10 people died, had a double effect for Terra Lliure. ETA's car bombings made it increasingly difficult to continue justifying the 'armed struggle' and reduced social and political support for home-grown violence. Reflecting on

5050-530: The club entrusted the construction to the building company Ingar SA. The work was supposed to last eight months, but the costs were more than four times higher than expected, reaching 288 million pesetas. Through mortgages and loans, the club managed to finish the project, borrowing heavily for several years. The club hoped to cover the cost with the sale of the land at Les Corts , but the Barcelona City Council took five years to requalify it, giving rise to

5151-505: The collaboration of Lorenzo García-Barbón. Finally, on 24 September 1957, the feast of La Mercè, the Camp Nou was inaugurated. A solemn mass presided over by the archbishop, who welcomed the finished stadium, preceded the Hallelujah from Handel's Messiah. Dignitaries of the Franco regime and of the city gathered in the presidential tribune, and some 90,000 people attended the opening ceremony in

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5252-485: The construction of a larger stadium. On 14 November 1950, the president Agustí Montal i Galobart obtained the favourable agreement of an assembly of members to acquire land for the construction of a new stadium, located in Hospitalet de Llobregat, which was later exchanged with the Barcelona City Council for other land in the neighbourhood of Les Corts. The stadium is located at the end of Travessera de les Corts, next to

5353-604: The district of Fenouillèdes (Occitan: Fenolheda ) to form the département of the Pyrénées-Orientales , with Perpignan ( Perpinyà ) as its administrative centre. The département of the Pyrénées-Orientales is divided into the arrondissements of Céret (Catalan: Ceret ), Perpignan ( Perpinyà ) and Prades ( Prada de Conflent ), which are further divided into cantons and communes . Perpignan and sixteen surrounding communes are also associated in

5454-513: The event and distributed its leaflets, gaining recognition and new recruits. In the autumn of 1982, in September and November, the first assembly was held in the south of France. It established the strategy of "armed propaganda" to achieve its objectives, consisting of violent actions, not with the intention of causing personal injury, but rather with the aim of provoking fear and intimidation, as well as seeking maximum media coverage. In its documents,

5555-413: The exclusive use of Catalan as the "only official language"; and criticised the policy of the Catalan government to progressively introduce education only in Catalan. After being shot in the knee by Terra Lliure member Pere Bascompte and left tied to a tree, Jiménez Losantos was found by the police the same day. In June, the group published its first statement, called Free Land Calling , in a mass meeting at

5656-435: The existence of two communities or two languages as a perpetual fact, as this can only lead to the disappearance of our language and our community and to an artificial division of our working people." In the 1960s, a new generation of anti-Franco activists reshaped Catalanism and separatism. In 1968, the Socialist Party of National Liberation ( Catalan : Partit Socialista d’Alliberament Nacional dels Països Catalans , PSAN)

5757-536: The explosion of a device in the courthouse in Les Borges Blanques ( Lleida ) caused a wall of an adjacent house to collapse, killing a 62-year-old woman, Emilia Aldomà , who was sleeping at the time. The second reason was the attack by Basque ETA in the garage of the Hipercor shopping centre in a predominantly working-class neighbourhood of Barcelona on 19 June 1987, which killed 21 people and injured 45, making it

5858-595: The factions within Terra Lliure). It also called for the defence of Catalan territory, language and national sovereignty from espanyolistas and anti-nationalist, along with "protecting the interests of workers" against "the forces of occupation". In a 1982 letter released by Terra Lliure, the organization wrote: "Ever since the French and Spanish states conquered the Països Catalans, we have walked towards our destruction as

5959-401: The failure of the organization, Terra Lliure leader Jaume Fernàndez argued that a resilient Catalanist challenge to Spanish government was dependent on the nationalist constituency turning away from the transition process. Because most nationalist Catalans remained loyal to the new regime and trusted the electoral process, Terra Lliure was unable to gain strength. In 1991, Terra Lliure announced

6060-519: The family, and the Kingdom of Majorca was retaken militarily by the Crown of Aragon in 1344, reintegrating the counties of Roussillon and Cerdanya into the Principality of Catalonia. The Treaty of the Pyrenees of 1659 ceded Northern Catalonia to France, where it became the province of Roussillon . The French provinces were abolished at the Revolution (Law of 1789-12-22), and Roussillon was joined with

6161-543: The final match, which was played at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid. The Camp Nou also hosted the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester United and Bayern Munich , with both teams in contention to complete league title/domestic cup/European Cup trebles. Bayern led early through Mario Basler 's goal in the sixth minute and kept the lead as the clock reached 90 minutes, but United came back to win with injury time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær . As well as hosting Barcelona,

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6262-452: The foundation of a Catalan organization Crida a la Solidaritat en Defensa de la Llengua which organized a rally at Camp Nou in June 1981, with the slogan “Som una nació” ( Catalan : We are a nation ). The rally had around 100,000 attenders and sparked a political and cultural movement in favor of Catalanization and Catalan autonomy, and against Spanish centralization. Terra Lliure also attended

6363-459: The gates (accesses) to Camp Nou are used. Usually metro services are increased when there is a match, which causes significant passenger congestion. A new station, named Avinguda de Xile / Camp Nou , is under construction and will be served by L9 and L10 . Approximately 680 metres (0.42 miles) from Camp Nou there is the Trambaix Avinguda de Xile station (lines T1, T2 and T3). Camp Nou

6464-417: The ghost of Francoist repression in Catalan society". Terra Lliure was officially disbanded in 1995, and most of its former members joined the ERC. On 8 March 1996, the Spanish government pardoned the 18 members convicted in the 1995 trial and ordered their immediate release from prison. Most of Terra Lliure's original members converged into the group around 1980, arriving from other armed organizations such as

6565-414: The group committed its only killing, with a bomb attack in Les Borges Blanques , Lleida . Terra Lliure admitted the killing was an error. The group also committed several attacks, mainly against American interests, together with the Catalan Red Liberation Army . In 1988, Terra Lliure held its third assembly and developed three documents to describe the theoretical framework and analyze the social reality of

6666-401: The group maintained its structure and capacities and a parallel political movement was developing, the Solidarity Committee with the Catalan Patriots (CSPC) and the Movement for the Defense of the Land (MDT). During these years, starting from 1985, both the MDT and Terra Lliure would receive bomb attacks from Milícia Catalana (MC), a right-wing Spanish nationalist armed group. In 1987,

6767-452: The imprisonment of Terra Lliure members Carles Benítez and Xavier Monton. These arrests provoked a crisis in the organisation's leadership that led to the expulsion of some dissident militants who questioned the armed route as a tool for political and social change. The third assembly was held in July 1988, at which Terra Lliure's leadership wanted to assess the social support that the organisation really had in Catalan society. It also approved

6868-478: The inclusion of the Catalan language on signs and its use in material produced by the administrative department. In 1700, the government of Louis XIV prohibited the use of the Catalan language in official documents, although the government only irregularly enforced the edict throughout the eighteenth century. In Perpignan Catalan was also prohibited from being used by priests during Mass . From 1700 all public acts had to be written in French, from 1738 this

6969-416: The laws of regionalization of France during the 1980s. The language is estimated to be spoken by 34% of the population of Northern Catalonia, but understood by 65%. On 10 December 2007, the General Council of the Pyrénées-Orientales proclaimed Catalan as one of the languages of the department, alongside French and Occitan (in Fenouillèdes), The 'Charter in Support of Catalan' was adopted which called for

7070-407: The main grandstand and new lighting and sound systems were completed in time for the 1998–99 season. During 1998–99, UEFA rated Camp Nou a five-star stadium for its services and functionalities. Although popularly called Camp Nou, the stadium's official name was actually “Estadi del FC Barcelona” since its completion, and it was not until the 2000–01 season that club members voted to officially rename

7171-416: The only institution that the Francoist regime was unable to persecute for its usage and promotion of the Catalan language . Following Vatican II , Catalan clergy would increasingly emerge as a vocal opponent of the Francoist regime, and many parishes provided refugee and aid to anti-Francoist groups. In 1963, Catalan abbot Aureli Maria Escarré went as far as arguing that the Francoist regime "does not obey

7272-513: The oppressed people's aspiration for freedom and independence. One of the most prominent supporters of ETA amongst the Basque clergy was José María Setién , the Archbishop of San Sebastián . In case of Catalonia, despite the fact that Catalonia was a heavily anti-clerical nation prior to WW2, the nationalist movement became increasingly "Catholicized" between 1940s and 1960s, as the Catholic Church became

7373-445: The option of building a new stadium due to financial constraints, and instead opted to remodel the Camp Nou to bring the capacity up to 105,000. The project was expected to run from 2017 to early 2021, with a cost of around £495 million (€600 million), making it one of the most expensive expansions on a per-seat basis. A refined plan was released in May 2015 showing plans to add a canopy over

7474-449: The other Catalan counts, a process that was virtually complete by the twelfth century. The last Count of Rosselló, Girard II , left his title to the Crown of Aragon on his death in 1172 to prevent the territory passing to his illegitimate half-brothers. Royal administration in the Principality of Catalonia within the Crown of Aragon was organized based on vegueries , under the charge of

7575-471: The previous roof-line. The Camp Nou opened the FC Barcelona club museum in 1984. The stadium was renovated in 1993–94, in which the pitch was lowered by 2.5 metres (8 feet), the security gap that separated the lawn from the galleries was removed, and standing room was eliminated in favour of individual seating. A new press box, renovation of the presidential grandstand and boxes, new parking under

7676-525: The region . In 2022, music streaming service Spotify reached a deal with Barcelona to acquire the naming rights to the stadium for four years in a deal worth $ 310 million. The stadium was rebranded as Spotify Camp Nou in July 2022. The club issued an international tender to remodel the stadium as a celebration of the stadium's fiftieth anniversary. The objective was to make the facility an integrated and highly visible urban environment. The club sought to increase

7777-508: The rest of Northern Catalonia, lying to the south of the Pyrenean watershed in the upper valley of the Segre . It is a mountainous and sparsely-populated district, and includes the town of Llívia ( pop.  1252 (2005) ) which is an exclave of Spain. The district lies on the most direct route between Toulouse ( Occitan : Tolosa de Lengadoc ) and Barcelona (via Foix and Ripoll ), and

7878-610: The reunification of the "Països Catalans", a cultural entity comprising the Principality of Catalonia, the Valencian Country , the Balearic Islands , as well as its bordering areas (the so-called Catalunya Nord to the north and the Franja to the west). Terra Lliure argued that only Catalan independence can protect its culture and bring about socialism, while rejecting autonomismo ( autonomism ) and sucursalismo ("sectionalism",

7979-646: The seating capacity by 13,500, with at least half of the total seating to be under cover. The intention was to make it the third-largest stadium in the world in terms of seating capacity, after the Narendra Modi Stadium in India (132,000 capacity) and Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in North Korea (114,000 capacity). On 18 September 2007, the British architect Norman Foster and his company were selected to "restructure"

8080-464: The signing of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 in exchange of France's effective renunciation on the formal protection that it had given to the recently founded Catalan Republic . The area corresponds roughly to the modern French département of the Pyrénées-Orientales which were historically part of Catalonia since the old County of Barcelona , and lasted during the times of the Crown of Aragon and

8181-561: The socialist PSC and communist PSUC . This allowed Terra Lliure to gain some support for its tactics and to escalate violence as radical nationalists grew disillusioned with CiU governments, resulting in some support for terrorism. The foundation of the Movement for Defence of the Land in 1984 marked the best period in the history of Terra Lliure, as a known political front and terrorist organization shifted towards more radical actions. The organization

8282-485: The stadium to its popular nickname. The facilities now include a memorabilia shop, mini-pitches for training matches and a chapel for the players. The stadium also houses the second-most visited museum in Catalonia, the Barcelona Museum, which receives more than 1.2 million visitors per year. On 1 October 2017, Barcelona's league match against Las Palmas was played in an empty Camp Nou due to political turmoil in

8383-510: The stadium was laid on 28 March 1954. A procession of several thousands of people made the journey from the Camp de Les Corts to La Masia de Can Planes, where the ceremony of laying the first stone was held, a solemn ceremony in the presence of Miró-Sans, the head of the Civil Government of Barcelona and the archbishop of Barcelona, Gregorio Modrego. The project was completed one year later, when

8484-413: The stadium. The stadium was one of the 17 venues of the 1982 FIFA World Cup , and held the following matches: 41°22′51″N 2°7′22″E  /  41.38083°N 2.12278°E  / 41.38083; 2.12278 Northern Catalonia Northern Catalonia , North Catalonia or French Catalonia is the formerly Catalan -speaking and cultural territory ceded to France by Spain through

8585-432: The stands and showing the plans for seating expansion in greater detail. Construction was planned in 2019 to begin in summer 2020 and to be completed in 2024. On 28 April 2022, the club confirmed that renovations would begin after the 2022–23 season . Renovation work on the stadium began on 1 June 2023. At that time, Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated that the club expected to return by December 2024, when most of

8686-505: The stands of the huge stadium. During the event, football clubs from all over Catalonia paraded on the field, as well as members of the different sections of Barça, the penyes and the different Barcelona teams. Like Santiago Bernabéu Stadium of Real Madrid , the stadium was inspired by De Kuip , home of Feyenoord Rotterdam , which was built in 1937, and featured oval rings around the pitch, resulting in continuous stands without open corners. The stadium's capacity has varied greatly over

8787-575: The third largest party in Catalan parliament. In May 1981, Terra Lliure kidnapped Spanish cultural activist and teacher Federico Jiménez Losantos who helped organizing and then signed the Manifesto of the 2,300 , which decried legal protections given to the Catalan language. The manifesto alleged that Spanish speakers are discriminated against in Catalonia, and warned against "Catalanization" of Catalan schools and public spaces. After verifying his identity and locating him, Terra Lliure members tied Jiménez to

8888-475: The traditional opening ceremonies took place (including the releasing of a dove). In front of 95,000, Belgium upset the defending champions Argentina 1–0 in that opening match. It then hosted three round-robin matches between the Soviet Union, Poland and Belgium, which Poland ended up winning and qualifying from to reach the semi-finals, where they played Italy at the Camp Nou, losing 2–0; Italy went on to win

8989-530: The work will be done. Final completion of all renovations is scheduled for June 2026. While the renovations are ongoing, Barcelona is playing home matches at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuïc. Camp Nou has been used for various purposes other than football, often hosting major concerts. Some notable high-profile appearances include: On 4 November 2014, Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR), which operates France's professional rugby union leagues, announced that

9090-416: The years, opening at 106,146, and growing to 121,401 for the 1982 FIFA World Cup . In May 1972, the Camp Nou hosted its first European Cup Winners' Cup final between Rangers and Dynamo Moscow . Rangers won the match with a score of 3–2. Electronic scoreboards were installed in 1975. The stadium underwent an expansion in 1980, in anticipation of the 1982 FIFA World Cup , which added boxes, VIP lounges,

9191-619: Was also influenced by the far-left liberation theology and had a faction directly dedicated to it. This is in line with the Basque ETA that Terra Lliure aspired to become a Catalan equivalent of; ETA was founded in the Benedictine seminary in Lazkao and was supported by Basque clergy, which harboured separatist and nationalist tendencies, especially at local level. Pro-ETA Basque priests accepted violent actions of ETA, considering it justified as part of

9292-443: Was considered a terrorist organization by Spanish and European courts, Spanish press, and at least parts of the Catalan press. Terra Lliure was described as a Marxist, nationalist and a separatist organization that sought to establish an independent Catalan state. Founded during the period of Spanish transition to democracy, Terra Lliure decried what it considered to be a persistence of anti-Catalan discrimination and state violence. It

9393-486: Was extended to include registers of births, marriages and deaths. In the 1950s, after centuries of being forbidden in education, the Catalan language was permitted to be studied for one hour per week in secondary school. In the 1970s, the Arrels Association and la Bressola network of private schools started to offer complete bilingual French/Catalan classes from nursery up to secondary education. North Catalonia

9494-418: Was founded, which combined Marxist revolutionary ideology with Catalan separatism. PSAN took anti-colonial struggles and third-world anti-imperialist nationalism as its model for Catalan separatism. The party grew increasingly divided during the Spanish transition of democracy, with many left-wing radical, revolutional socialist, but also moderate and reformist currents emerging. Terra Liure was founded in 1978 by

9595-516: Was merged with other areas of Occitania to form a new French region. This has led to fears that the Occitan language and culture will be given precedence over the Catalan language and culture. In December 2017, Express.co.uk reported that 2000 people took part in a protest in Perpignan, in order to get the French government to hold a referendum on Northern Catalonia reuniting with Southern Catalonia. Northern Catalans helped print ballot slips for

9696-518: Was placed on the far-left fringe of Catalan political forces and sought to be an imitiation of Basque Euskadi Ta Askatasuna and became a bridge between Catalan anarchists and nationalists. In its 1981 Declaration of Principles, Terra Lliure described itself as a movement that "fights to defend the land, the language, national sovereignty, the interests of workers and against the Spanishization of Catalan society". Similarly to Basque ETA, Terra Lliure

9797-469: Was set on 5 March 1986 in the European Cup quarter-final against Juventus in front of 120,000 spectators, just 1,401 shy of the stadium's capacity. The Camp Nou was one of several stadiums used throughout the 1982 World Cup, hosting the inauguration ceremony on 13 June. It also hosted more matches in that tournament than any of the 16 other stadiums used all over Spain, including the opening match, where

9898-451: Was the kidnapping of journalist Federico Jiménez Losantos on 21 May 1981 in Barcelona, for having signed the " Manifesto of the 2,300 ". This manifesto was a document signed by more than 2,300 intellectuals and professionals living and working in Catalonia and published on 25 January 1981. In it, they defended the co-official status of Catalan and Spanish as the vehicular languages of public education in Catalonia; expressed their concern about

9999-471: Was the result of a split in the PSAN in 1979. In July 1984, the Movement for Defence of the Land ( Catalan : Moviment de Defensa de la Terra , MDT) was formed, another Catalan pro-independence left-wing party that integrated these two parties and became the political arm of Terra Lliure. Terra Lliure's objectives, made explicit and explained in its internal bulletins called Alerta, were: independence, socialism and

10100-471: Was the transitional Catalan government until the 1980 Catalan regional election . Unlike in Basque Country, in Catalonia voters overwhelmingly approved of the new constitution in 1978, with 61% voting in favour with a turnout of 68% - in comparison, only 31% of Basque voters voted in favour with a turnout of 45%. The 1979 Spanish local elections showed that the Catalan movement had great potential to become

10201-425: Was then severely weakened in late 1985 as its leadership was arrested and its political front suffered splits along strategic issue. The separatist Republican Left of Catalonia ( Catalan : Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya , ERC) also attracted the members of Terra Lliure into its ranks by negotiationg individual solutions for jailed activists, resulting in separatist voters and militants embracing ERC, which became

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