The figure of Palmira Jaquetti (Barcelona, 1859-els Monjos, 1963) emerges as one of the many women who, from anonymity, enriched the Catalan cultural landscape with their humanistic sensibility. In an era when women's voices struggled to be heard in intellectual circles, Jaquetti represents a paradigmatic example of cultural contribution.
With a profound literary and musical sensitivity, Jaquetti dedicated herself from a young age to the study, teaching, and dissemination of Catalan culture. She was a prominent collaborator of the Obra del Cançoner Popular de Catalunya (Work of the Popular Songbook of Catalonia), a project initiated by Rafael Patxot and the Orfeó Català. Her collections, carried out in various regions such as La Seu d’Urgell, Val d’Aran, and Pallars, amassed over 10,000 musical pieces.
La Seu d’Urgell, the origin of her paternal family, served as the starting point for her immense collection work. Her travel memoirs and fieldwork, documented in a diary hidden for over eight decades, offer a direct testimony of rural life in the 1920s and 1930s, revealing the folklorist's enthusiasm for her discoveries.
Daughter of Ignasi Jaquetti i Sardà and Maria Isant i Torra, her life was marked by a deep love for the Pyrenees, which she traversed over a century ago to prevent traditional songs from falling into oblivion. Her importance, however, extends beyond popular culture, encompassing her roles as a poet, writer, composer, pianist, translator, teacher, and scientific researcher.
Recently, the capital of Alt Urgell has honored Palmira Jaquetti by naming a street after her, recognizing her contributions. This initiative, promoted by the Col·lectiu Feminista de l’Alt Urgell (Feminist Collective of Alt Urgell), is part of a program of activities including exhibitions and literary tours through the city, highlighting the legacy of this key figure in Catalan culture.
