Centuries of national fervour

Catalonia’s battles with Spanish rule

1714

Spanish War of Succession ends Aragon autonomy, centralising Spanish rule and banning the administrative use of Catalan languages

1833

European Romantic movement revives Catalan nationalism, encouraging Catalan politicians to call for more regional autonomy

1931

Spain becomes a republic with autonomous Catalan regional government

1938

Franco, above, abolishes Catalan autonomy in Spanish Civil War and suppresses Catalan language

1975

Franco dies and Spanish fascism falls, setting up a process of democratisation under the new king, Juan Carlos

1979

Catalonia is recognised as a “nationality” and Catalan becomes the joint official language with Spanish

2006

Catalonia receives greater powers and financial autonomy

2010

Constitutional Court strikes down parts of 2006 statute and says Catalonia cannot call itself a nation

2014

Catalonia holds an independence referendum to gauge support on the region’s future, with 80 per cent of votes opting for independence

2015

Pro-independence parties return to power and plan a process of “disconnection” from the Spanish state

Oct 1 2017

Catalan government holds an “unconstitutional” independence vote. Spanish police disrupt the vote and hundreds are injured as Madrid rejects the result, above

Oct 27

Catalan parliament declares independence from Spain, as the senate in Madrid votes to grant powers of direct rule