Barcelona’s Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district is seeing Vatican flags on balconies ahead of the Pope’s visit, with white and yellow banners also appearing in nearby Sarrià, Sant Gervasi, la Bonanova and Putxet i el Farró.
The display reflects the area’s strong links with the Catholic world. These neighbourhoods have a high concentration of religious institutions, including schools run by congregations such as the Jesuits, Teresians and Marists, as well as active parishes and Church-linked organisations.
Residents in these parts of Barcelona are more likely to mark the visit publicly, and the flags have become a visible sign of that connection. In Sant Gervasi, la Bonanova, one street is named after Pope Leo XIII, a predecessor of the current pontiff.
Pope Leo XIII never visited Barcelona, but the city named the street in his honour for his place in Church history. He is also linked to Catalonia through his declaration of Our Lady of Montserrat as patron saint of Catalonia.
The flag display is part of a wider Vatican campaign in Barcelona encouraging residents to hang flags from their balconies. In Nou Barris, the Ginesta Association said it distributed more than 15,000 flags through local parishes and has now run out of stock.
Some flags are also visible in La Guineueta, but in smaller numbers than in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi. Other areas, including El Poblenou, El Poble-sec, Barceloneta and El Clot, have shown far less public response to the visit.
For more Barcelona community coverage, see our Community and Sport pages. Originally published by betevé, read the original report.
