Dedicated to culture and to love, la Diada de Sant Jordi was celebrated in Catalonia last Sunday 23^rd of April. In Barcelona, thousands of Catalan gathered in the area of La Rambla, visiting bookstands and rose stalls, to offer flowers and books to loved ones.

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Centuries-old celebration

The history of this celebration, la Diada (i.e. the day) de Sant Jordi (the Catalan name for Saint George) goes back to Barcelona’s medieval times. According to the legend, George defeated the dragon to save the Princess, which blood drops turned into a rose that George offered to his lady-love. Considered by some as Catalonia’s Valentines’ day, La Diada de Sant Jordi also honours the celebration of the great Miguel de Cervantes’ funeral, on April 23^rd 1616, by bringing forward literature through citywide book markets.
Determined in conserving strong traditions, Barcelona has nevertheless succeeded in building the foundations of one of the world’s leading Smart Cities, as shown by Barcelona’s Digital City 2017-2020 Roadmap.

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Where Technology and tradition meet

In this context, DFRC has installed LBASense sensors at the Sagrada Familia, and has afterwards expanded the installation to the Palau Moja. Symbol itself of the fusion between technology and tradition, the Catalan Heritage House, located inside the building, focuses on offering an innovative visit of Catalonia through interactive tools.

Crowd Analytics from LBASense mobile phone detecting sensors have shown a strong increase in the number of visitors on Sunday, April 23^rd, around La Rambla.