Josep Puig i Cadafalch (Mataró 1867 - Barcelona 1956) was one of the most important Catalan architects, as well as a modernist, town planner, art historian and politican. From a political viewpoint the highlight was his presidency of the Commonwealth of Catalonia before the imposition of Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship in 1923.

He was also a central figure of Catalan modernism, as an architect, town planner and intellectual. Among his most famous architectural works are the Casa de les Punxes and the Casa Martí, which became the meeting point for the intellectuals of the modernist movement through being the site of the tavern “El Quatre Gats”.

The architect did important work as an art historian for the recovery of Catalan Romanesque heritage. Among his most important works are ‘L’arquitectura romànica de Catalunya’ (The Romanesque architecture of Catalunya) (1909-18) and ‘L’escultura romànica de Catalunya’ (The Romanesque sculpting of Catalunya) (1949-52).

The Centre for Catalan Studies of the Sorbonne presents a round table that will deal with the ties between the figure of Puig i Cadafalch and France, to where he was exiled following the arrival of the dictatorships of Primo de Rivera (December 1923) and Franco (1939). The round table will consist of three speeches and will be moderated by the director of the centre, Monica Güell.

Participants

Mireia Freixa (University of Barcelona, ​​director of the GRACMON), commissioner of the Puig i Cadafalch Year, will speak about ‘The Recovery of the Memory of Puig i Cadafalch’.

Xavier Barral i Altet (University of Rennes 2, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Bibliotheca Hertziana – Max Planck Institute for Art History), on “Puig i Cadafalch and Henri Focillon: Medieval Catalan Art at the Sorbonne”.

Montserrat Pagès i Paretas (art critic, former curator at the MNAC) with “Puig i Cadafalch: France as a Reference”.