Barcelona welcomed Sarah Bernhardt on 25 May 1921, when the French actress arrived at Passeig de Gràcia station after travelling by express train from Madrid. The 77-year-old, known as the “Divine Sarah”, drew officials, theatre people and admirers to the platform.
A welcoming committee was waiting for her, including representatives from the Ajuntament, the official Homage Commission and other theatre figures. Prudenci Bertrana, writing for Ara, described the scene in detail, including bouquets with a tricolour ribbon and the four bars of the Catalan flag, offered by the Society of Actors.
Bernhardt had already appeared on Barcelona stages in 1882, when she played Marguerite in La Dame aux Camélias (The Lady of the Camellias). Her earlier visit also left a sweet trace in the city, the “Sara” cake, a sponge cake filled with butter cream and topped with toasted almond slices.
Bertrana noted that the crowd at the station was smaller than the one that might greet a winning football team, but he still valued the people who came. He wrote that their intelligence mattered more to him than sheer numbers, a line that gives the arrival a clear place in Barcelona’s cultural life. For readers interested in the city’s public life, see our Community coverage and Sport stories.
The train arrived on time, which Bertrana treated as a rare point in favour of the railways of the day. Bernhardt then appeared at the door of her sleeping car, smiling and greeting the crowd. Her companions lowered her to the platform in an armchair, and Bertrana described her as warm, dignified and full of light despite her age.
Among those present was Nicolau d’Olwer, who bowed before her and placed a bouquet of roses on her lap. Dramatist Ignasi Iglesias was also moved by the moment. Bernhardt then left for the Hotel Majestic on Passeig de Gràcia, before her expected performances at the Teatre Tívoli. Read the original Ara Cat article for the source account.
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