Girona City Council creates the Carles Rahola i Llorens Memorial Site at the Old Cemetery

Monday, July 13, 2026

The initiative forms part of the 90th anniversary of the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, the military uprising of 18 July 1936, and the City Council's commitment to democratic memory. The works include the restoration of the grave and the installation of a commemorative plaque. The commemorative ceremony will take place on Friday, 17 July, at 12 noon, at the Old Cemetery.

The City Council of Girona has created the Carles Rahola i Llorens Memorial Site at the Old Cemetery, located on the southern terrace of the Sant Salvador d'Horta section, where his remains are buried. The site has been restored and marked with a commemorative plaque. This initiative forms part of the City Council's efforts to preserve democratic memory, coinciding with the 90th anniversary of the military uprising of 18 July 1936.

To present these initiatives, the City Council will hold an institutional ceremony on Friday, 17 July, at 12 noon, at Girona's Old Cemetery. The event will be attended by the Mayor of Girona, Lluc Salellas i Vilar; Professor of Contemporary History Joaquim Nadal Farreras; and historian and University of Girona lecturer Lluís Costa Fernàndez.

The restoration work has made it possible to recover and dignify Carles Rahola's grave. Specifically, the gravestone has been replaced, the commemorative elements of the niche have been restored, and a bench has been installed to encourage contemplation and reflection.

A commemorative plaque has also been installed, in accordance with the common signage criteria for memory sites in Catalonia. It provides historical context on Carles Rahola and highlights his commitment to defending democratic freedoms.

Another key initiative has been the designation of the southern terrace of the Sant Salvador d'Horta section as the Carles Rahola i Llorens Memorial Site. This designation recognises the historical and symbolic significance of the location and reinforces the City Council's commitment to preserving Carles Rahola's memory and promoting democratic values.

Carles Rahola i Llorens, a journalist, intellectual and republican activist, was executed by firing squad on 15 March 1939 at Girona Cemetery after being convicted by a summary military court. His execution made him one of the foremost symbols of Francoist repression against freedom of thought and expression in Catalonia.

Rahola was one of the 510 people executed by firing squad at the southern wall of Girona Cemetery between 1939 and 1945 and buried in the cemetery's mass grave. For decades, the site contained no identifying feature to preserve the memory of those buried there. The first democratic City Council after the Franco dictatorship initiated the first redevelopment of the site in 1981. Later, on 10 November 2010, the City Council of Girona and the Democratic Memorial completed its dignification by installing 510 commemorative plaques, each bearing the name of the executed person, the date of execution and their last place of residence.