Maria Antònia Salvà and the centennial of Verdaguer’s birth. Homage in Llucmajor

In January of 1946, Maria Antònia Salvà delivered in Catalan a rigorously prepared lecture on Jacint Verdaguer in Llucmajor in the presence of local authorities. It was her personal homage to the poet who, as she herself confessed, had inspired her to write in Catalan. The core of this study features the preparation and description of the event (including a recital of Verdaguer poems prepared by Salvà) and also the transcription of the lecture. Two further points are added to this: firstly, the circumstances which forced her to contribute to the issue of Cristiandad dedicated to Verdaguer; and secondly, how she was able to follow, from Llucmajor and especially by means of correspondence with Josep Ros i Artigues, the more or less clandestine events (in any case, not permitted by authorities) that were held in Barcelona and Folgueroles to celebrate the centennial of the poet’s birth.