author
Antoni de Bofarull
1821–1892
A central figure in the Catalan cultural revival of the 19th century, he wrote across poetry, drama, fiction, history, and language studies. His work helped reconnect readers with Catalonia’s past while also championing Catalan as a literary language.
1 Audiobook
La orfaneta de Menargues; o, Catalunya agonisant : Novela histórica
by Antoni de Bofarull
About the author
Born in Reus on November 3, 1821, Antoni de Bofarull i Brocà became one of the notable voices of the Renaixença, the 19th-century movement that renewed Catalan language and literature. He studied in Barcelona, earned a law degree, and went on to work at the Archive of the Crown of Aragon, a post that fed his lifelong interest in history and old Catalan sources.
Bofarull wrote in many forms: poetry, plays, novels, historical studies, and linguistic works. He is especially remembered for helping restore the Jocs Florals in Barcelona in 1859, a major literary event that became a symbol of the Catalan revival. His historical and literary writing often aimed to recover Catalonia’s medieval past and give modern readers a stronger sense of cultural identity.
He died in Barcelona on February 12, 1892. Today he is remembered not just as a writer, but as a scholar and cultural organizer whose work linked archival research, literature, and public life at an important moment in Catalan history.