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Aran Valley marks 25 years of self-government

Autonomous government of Catalonia's Occitan-speaking territory was reinstated in 1991

Raising the flag of Aran.
Raising the flag of Aran. Author: Pep Casasayas Palà
The Aran Valley is today marking its national day by commemorating the restoration of the valley's General Council on 17 June 1991, one and a half century after its abolition by the Spanish authorities. This year's event commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Council's effective restoration with the holding of its first election, and furthermore highlights demands for the full implementation of the Law on the Special Status of Aran, which regulates self-government of the valley and relations with Catalonia. The Law of Aran was adopted on 21 January 2015 at the Parliament of Catalonia.

The commemorative events take place in Aran's capital Vielha, with parades of banners carried by representatives of each terçon -the valley's traditional administrative division. After an official reception by the Síndic (Aran's head of government), the Aranese flag will be raised and the Occitan national anthem -which is also the official anthem of the Aran Valley- will be sung.

The events will be closed by official speeches, including by the president of the Government of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont.

Commemoration at the Catalan Parliament

Commemorative events began on Saturday 11 June with a literary and drawing awards ceremony. Furthermore, on Wednesday a commemoration was held in Barcelona, at the Catalan Parliament.

The Aranese delegation seized the opportunity to explain demands of Aran and challenges being faced by the valley.

The Law of Aran

The current law defines Aran as an "Occitan national reality," states that the valley's anthem is Montanhes araneses, the local version of the Occitan anthem Se canta, and determines that the Occitan Cross charged with the Aranese coat of arms be the valley's flag. Occitan, locally known as Aranese, is declared Aran Valley's own language, which must be in "normal use" by the public administration and schools.

(This is an adapted summary of an article published by Jornalet, an Occitan news site with with Nationalia has a partnership agreement. Translation into English by Nationalia.)