Last weekend we celebrated what is now one of my favorite holidays, Día de Sant Jordi. Legend has it that long ago, there was a dragon that was tormenting the people of Catalonia. It ate nearly all their livestock, and the king declared that lotts would be drawn to select a human sacrifice to slake the beast’s endless hunger. Tragically, the princess’s name was drawn. She went forth to suffer her fate for the sake of her kingdom. At that last moment, the brave Sir Jordi (Catalan for George, a.k.a. Saint George) slew the dragon and saved the princess! In the very places where the dragon’s blood spilled on the ground, beautiful red roses grew. In memory of this event, people in Catalonia give red roses on April 23, Saint Jordi’s Day.
One of the buildings designed by Catalonia’s most famous architect, Antoni Gaudí, has design elements that honor this story. Casa Batlló, the building, had been closed for months, but had a re-opening on Sant Jordi, and we were fortunate enough to get some tickets!
