A mosaic of cultures, a multitude of different traditions coexist in l’Hospitalet de Llobregat. If you listen closely at one of the metro stops, it is very possible that you will hear several languages. Rarely is so much diversity concentrated in 12.4 square kilometers. One of them is the Catalan one. For 150 years, an entity from what is now the second city in Catalonia has acted as a promoter of this tradition. It is the Casino del Centre, located in the center of the town, next to the Just Oliveras boulevard. This year the Casino was awarded a Creu de Sant Jordi for its work. It is the oldest active association in the city.
L’Hospitalet is very different now compared to when the Casino was born under the name of the Economic, Agricultural and Industrial Center of the Town of Hospitalet de Llobregat. Now it has more than 265,000 inhabitants and a century and a half ago “it would have had 2,000 or so,” recalls Josep Miquel Goyta, current president of the association.
The Casino was founded by about twenty men who raised 41,000 pesetas and raised the building, now protected for its heritage value. “They had purchasing power, but not exaggerated either. The big owners were in Barcelona,” recalls Goyta. “They were looking for a place to have fun,” says Pilar Firmas, secretary of the board.
Along with the recreational and meeting activities, the theater groups, the choir, the hiking center also arrived… “it became an important point of reference,” considers Goyta. “They also did business,” adds Firms. It was not the only entity of these characteristics at that time in l’Hospitalet. They differed by political tendency.
During the Civil War the Casino del Center was seized by the CNT and the UGT. But beyond painting some walls, “they didn’t break anything,” recalls the board secretary. Under Franco, the property ended up in the hands of the Falange, but it was only there for “a few months.” “At the end of 1939, thanks to some contacts with the civil governor, it was able to reopen. Of course, under the name of Casino Nacional,” says the president.
Despite having the name imposed by the authorities of the dictatorship, at the Casino they enjoyed a certain amount of freedom to carry out their activities. “In the 40s, plays were already organized in Catalan,” says Goyta. “You had to ask for permission for everything,” says Firmas. With that approval, they organized festival dances, brought orchestras to l’Hospitalet and carried out cultural and sports activities.
However, the most complex moment of the Casino de l’Hospitalet came decades later, between the 60s and 70s of the last century. “It was the time of the popularization of television in homes and the car,” describes Firmas. At that time, Goyta says, “the need to come downtown to have fun was lost.” The result was “very hard” years for the Casino del Centre: “At times you couldn’t even pay for electricity,” the president continues. It was imperative to look for unusual income. One of the main ones was acquiring, years later, a license to practice bingo. “If not, we will not be saved,” Firmas acknowledges.
With its highest moments and also its hardships, the Casino de l’Hospitalet has acted throughout all these years as a kind of guardian of Catalan culture in a city that grew up welcoming other traditions. Its story is collected in an exhibition, which can be seen at its headquarters until October 22.
Currently, they have approximately 350 members. Esbart, theatre, board games, Catalan classes, yoga, tai chi, skating, concerts and excursions, among other activities, are part of its programming, which has been reinforced throughout this century.
Today, its great challenge is the same as that of so many other neighborhood and cultural associations in many cities: to be more attractive to young people. Initiatives such as skating help them get closer to that audience.
