The mayor of Castellar del Riu (Berguedà), Adrià Soler, has asked the entities that organize the Three Branches Pine gathering every year to work to promote the tree as a true symbol not only in the region, but also in the country.
“We ask those who have the power to drag people along when needed, to give more importance to this third Sunday in July so that it is valued,” he said. The reading of the poem El Pi de les Tres Branques, which the poet Jacint Verdaguer wrote in 1887, preceded the traditional floral offering at the monument.
The activities of the Pi de les Branques gathering began this Sunday with a parade of the giants of Espinalbet and the giants of Castellar de Riu, accompanied by the grallers and castellers of Berga and Cobla Pirineu. Once at the Pi de les Tres Branques, with the arrival of the infant King Jaume I, a unitary patriotic act was celebrated in front of the Old Pine that began with the staged reading of Jacint Verdaguer’s poem ‘The Pi de les Tres Branques’ , performed by Amics Actors d’Indrets del Record and read by rhapsode Joana Ventura, who also read a text prepared by Mallorcan activist Bartomeu Mestre.
Unlike other editions, with an important presence of personalities from the world of culture of the Catalan Countries, this year the central act has only had the speeches of the vice president of Òmnium Cultura del Berguedà, Xavier Giner, and the president of ANC, Dolors Feliu. In addition, the mayor estimates that 200 people have gathered to participate in the meeting, figures much lower than those of the years with the most fervor for independence.
On the other hand, the vice president of Òmnium has claimed 1-O as a great asset for the country. “October 1 taught us a great lesson and showed that a shared strategy is necessary to win.” For her part, Dolors Feliu has also spoken of the moment in which the independence movement is living and the difficulties it is facing, but has pointed out that the will to end independence “continue unalterable”, as symbolized by the tree.
As every year, the Castellar del Riu City Council takes care of all the necessary infrastructure so that the aplec can be held. Mayor Adrià Soler has transferred to the entities that organize the event the need to give “the importance it deserves” to the party. In addition, he has demanded that the party be distanced from the strictly more political claim and that more weight be given to cultural value.
Soler explained that they would like to continue the visits that are made in the area throughout the year. In fact, for years they have been unsuccessfully claiming that the area can be “ordered” and a small car park can be made for visitors to arrive comfortably. For Soler, it would also be necessary to place panels where the history of the place was explained. “We have asked for it many times, but we have not achieved it. This mandate, which is now beginning, will be a priority”, he said.
Soler admits that in 2017 the party made an “outbreak” and an unusual attendance was recorded for what they were used to. Since then and also due to the affectation of the editions that were suspended due to the covid “the atmosphere of independence has loosened”, and that has been noted in the attendance.
El Pi de les Tres Branques is located in Pla de Campllong, in the municipality of Castellar del Riu. It is a monumental tree 25 meters high, considered a symbol of the unity of the Catalan Countries for the three branches that come out of the trunk. The tree died at the beginning of the 20th century.
The Pi has been the scene of battles in the Carlist wars, it was interpreted as a religious symbol of the Holy Trinity and during the Renaissance it became a symbol of the Catalan excursionist movement. Jacint Verdaguer made it a national symbol in the poem ‘El Pi de les Tres Branques’, in which King Jaume I, at the foot of the tree, dreamed of the conquests and reign of Catalonia, Mallorca and Valencia.
