Spain - The Heart Of Cantalonia - En Route To Barcelona (27/151)

Spain - The Heart Of Cantalonia - En Route To Barcelona (27/151)

Barcelona is a distinctly modern, young, booming city, boasting a total of nine buildings registered as World Heritage Sites - for visitors it is one of Europe's most attractive cities. Since Barcelona has been the capital of the autonomous region of Catalonia, all the arts have been profiting from the economic upswing and from the growing self-confidence of the Catalans, who cultivate their identity and their cultural heritage with a passion. The film also grants insights into the hinterland around Berga, a hilly region, frequented in winter by truffle-seekers with their dogs. Once a year the normally quiet little town of Berga is transformed into a hive of seething activity during the celebration of Corpus Christi, when the procession "La Patum" with its giants and mythical creatures wends its way in a blaze of fireworks through the streets and squares. This wild spectacle, an example of living history originating from the Middle Ages, has been placed under protection as part of World Heritage Culture. South of Berga, nestling between the mountain peaks, is the Catalans' most important shrine, the monastery of Montserrat. The imposing site is not only a destination for pilgrims - it was here, in the library and the monastery school, that the Catalan language was kept alive despite being banned under Franco's dictatorship...