Barcelona & Catalonia Cinderellas

Two early XX century cinderellas, Joan Fiveller, member of Barcelona City Council at the begining of XV century. Considered a symbol of the city's freedoms in front of the king.





Francesc de Paula Rius I Taulet (Barcelona, 1833 - Olèrdola, 1889). Major of Barcelona (1872-1873, 1881-1884 & 1886-1889). Father of modern Barcelona.

August 1974, Gràcia (today, Barcelona). 25th Stamp exhibition.Written in the (then compulsory) Spanish language. Today, we start our yearly feast, that will last 10 days.
The lily, featured on all cinderellas is the symbol of Virgin Mary, Patroness of the old village of Gràcia.

Just bought today. Cinderella from a Barcelona optician shop located in one of the city's oldest streets "carrer del Bisbe" (Catalan for Bishop st., "Obispo" on the cinderella), that was called "Decumanus" on Roman times (from 10 B.C. to 476 A.D.).
The cinderella, can be dated between 1923 and 1930, as it is written in Spanish language, compulsory during General Primo de Rivera's dictatorship.

Upper right corner block of a cinderella showing the Sant Llorenç del Munt mountain (1105 m), close to the cities of Terrassa and Sabadell (30 km from Barcelona)
Althoug it only indicated a face value, 1 pesseta (1/166 €), the design seems to be from the decades of 1940 or 1950. Anyway, 1pta was a lot of money on the 40's (the 1947 Montserrat cinderellas, have a 0.25 pta face value). So they should be from late 1950 or early 60's.

Perhaps, its aim was to collect money for a treking club of the area.

Another sketch of the same series as the one published by Cursus but 5 pesetas.The abbreviation of Pesetas, is written in catalan "Ptes" from "pessetes" and therefore would place editing by 1970.

And a curious one, about 1931, a photography shop.

Some very nice cinderellas.
As for the 5 ptes, showing the monastery of Sant Llorenç del Munt and two flowers, I agree that the fact that the value is in Catalan, seems to place it on the 1970 decade. But the design (quite rude for 1970's) and the fact that the circulation of these cinderellas was very restricted; so it could easily scape from fascist censorship, makes me to think on an earlier date.

These are very desirable and very interesting-looking Cinderellas. I agree though that they look to be from much earlier than the 70's, even the 60's.
Still, I know nothing about them so only going on appearance.

PS. The photoshop block is desirable too. Thanks for showing !

Just to put things in context: 5 pta was the price of a Barcelona bus fare in 1973 (today: 1.20 € = 200 pta). The "normal" printing, by then in Barcelona, was pretty good.As it can be seen on this 1972 cinderella.

The rude manufacture could be because it was an earlier or clandestine (with the so-called vietnamite printer) isue.
But, perhaps, Melic has done some research and can illustrate us.

I haven't more information on cinderelas of Sant Llorenç de Munt. Only comment that in my student memories, vietnamite printers not give this quality, it was much worse.

Ok. I thought that you had done some research on the Sant Llorenç de Munt cinderellas, to suport your statement.

I'll sniff around and see what I can find. I will most likely find nothing without the language but hey, one never knows.

Hope all is well with you in Barcelona

Londonbus1

All is well, thank you Mike. If you run into something written in Catalan or Spanish, just send it to me and I'll translate to English.

September, 1976, 18th Catalan Esperanto Congress in Valls (100 km South of Barcelona). Top of a human tower. A typical Catalan sport, originated about 250 years ago around Valls.

Barcelona, Esperanto cinderella from the 1980 decade.

September 11th 1937, Catalonia's National Day, Pi de Llobregat (today's Sant Joan Despí). Two cinderella's, showing the monument of Barcelona's major Rafel Casanovas, in Barcelona and (erroniously)the facts known as "Corpus de Sang" (Bloody Corpus)in June 1640.

This year 2014, we commemorate the 300 years of the storming of Barcelona by the Franco-Spanish army, after 13 months of siege;thus, ending Catalan freedom.

Barcelona, September 11th, 2014. 300 years of Barcelona storming by the Spanish and French armies commanded by the duke of Berwick.
Cacheted limited edition (of 100) cover. Bearing a cinderella taken from 1909 painting by Antoni Estruch, that depicts the last Catalan army charge with Major Rafael Casanova being injured while carrying Barcelona's war flag.
Imitation pm. and the wording "Correus de Catalunya". Catalonia Postage.