Rosalia Rovira i Duart, the pioneering voice of Ràdio Associació de Catalunya who suffered repression

The actress and announcer, who was imprisoned by the Franco regime, is remembered with a commemorative plaque on Sant Lluís street in Gràcia.

Commemorative plaque on Sant Lluís street in Gràcia honoring Rosalia un representant i Duart.

Commemorative plaque on Sant Lluís street in Gràcia honoring Rosalia un representant i Duart.

The figure of Rosalia Rovira i Duart, a pioneering actress and announcer for Ràdio Associació de Catalunya, has been honored with the placement of a plaque on Sant Lluís 14 street in Gràcia, where she lived.

Rosalia Rovira i Duart (Barcelona, 1903-1982) trained as an actress at the Escola Catalana d’Art Dramàtic. Theatre director Enric Giménez selected her as the leading actress for the Companyia de teatre de l’Orfeó Gracienc, where she worked for four years before transitioning to radio.
Encouraged by Giménez himself, she joined the dramatic cast of Ràdio Associació de Catalunya, initially taking charge of the children's section. She later achieved great popularity forming a radio duo with actor Ismael Cera, with whom she improvised informal conversations during programs and advertisements.
During the Civil War, Rovira remained the station's primary announcer, also hosting popular morning programs aimed at women listeners. She was the person at the microphone when Francoist forces occupied Barcelona, leading to her arrest and confinement in the Presó de Dones de les Corts women's prison.
Due to the repression, Rovira was permanently banned from radio and theatre. Shortly before her death in 1982, following the return of democracy, she received a subsidy as a former employee of the Generalitat. The recently installed plaque on Sant Lluís street commemorates her career and legacy.
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