Don't miss the 6th Rencontres Franco-Espagnoles, taking place in Montpellier from November 19 to 25, 2025!
This event, at the crossroads of culture, memory, history and commitment, will offer you a rich and diverse program: conferences, readings, screenings, testimonials, concerts, recitals, exhibitions...
This year, the 6th edition has a special significance, as it has been awarded the ?España en Libertad? 50 años? label, initiated by the Spanish Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Democratic Memory, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Franco?s death and the return of democracy to Spain.
Here is the program, with free admission subject to availability.
- november 19 ? 6pm | Maison des Relations Internationales Nelson Mandela: Opening with a tribute to Pablo Casals, figure of resistance and freedom, by Jean-Jacques Bedu, author of Pablo Casals, un musicien, une conscience. The evening will be punctuated by a shared aperitif.
- november 20 ? 2pm | Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation: Guided tour of the work of resistance fighter Violette Rougier.
- november 20 ? 7pm | Salle Pétrarque : Recital-reading dedicated to Pablo Casals and Joan Alavedra, by Gemma Durand, granddaughter of Joan Alavedra, accompanied on cello by Cyrille de Tricoire, principal cellist of the Orchestre de Montpellier.
- november 21 ? 6pm | Librairie Sauramps: Testimony by Gema Estudillo (Cadiz) on repression in Andalusia and the life of his grandfather, followed by presentations and readings by Spanish authors: Antonio Orihuela, Uberto Stabile, Manuela Parra, Gema Estudillo (interpretation in French).
- november 22 ? 2:30pm | Médiathèque Centrale Émile Zola: Tribute to Rafael Alberti with film screening and round-table discussion with Uberto Stabile (Alberti Foundation) and Manuel Soler Aznar (Autonomous University of Barcelona). Followed by readings of Alberti?s poems by poets. Antonio Orihuela will close the afternoon in memory of Jean Hervé Mirouze (interpretation in French)
- november 23 ? 3pm | Médiathèque Centrale Émile Zola : Recital-reading-music " Que mon nom ne s?efface pas de l?Histoire ", excerpt from the book Lettres aux Absentes : correspondances imaginaires de femmes en résistance, with Alexandre Pratlong, Manuela Parra, Marie-Noël Arras, Zia Pratlong, accompanied by Baptiste Gélineau (saxophone) and Joan Eche Puig (double bass).
- november 24 ? 6:30 pm | Salle Pétrarque: Presentation by students from collège Gérard Philipe of the "Graines de Résistance" project: interactive maps retracing the history of the Resistance in Montpellier and the surrounding region.
- november 25 ? 6 p.m. | La Gazette Café: Closing event with the lecture La liberté retrouvée, 1978-1986: La Movida madrilène by Pierre Berlan, in support of SOS Méditerranée.
This event, at the crossroads of culture, memory, history and commitment, will offer you a rich and diverse program: conferences, readings, screenings, testimonials, concerts, recitals, exhibitions...
This year, the 6th edition has a special significance, as it has been awarded the ?España en Libertad? 50 años? label, initiated by the Spanish Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Democratic Memory, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Franco?s death and the return of democracy to Spain.
Here is the program, with free admission subject to availability.
- november 19 ? 6pm | Maison des Relations Internationales Nelson Mandela: Opening with a tribute to Pablo Casals, figure of resistance and freedom, by Jean-Jacques Bedu, author of Pablo Casals, un musicien, une conscience. The evening will be punctuated by a shared aperitif.
- november 20 ? 2pm | Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation: Guided tour of the work of resistance fighter Violette Rougier.
- november 20 ? 7pm | Salle Pétrarque : Recital-reading dedicated to Pablo Casals and Joan Alavedra, by Gemma Durand, granddaughter of Joan Alavedra, accompanied on cello by Cyrille de Tricoire, principal cellist of the Orchestre de Montpellier.
- november 21 ? 6pm | Librairie Sauramps: Testimony by Gema Estudillo (Cadiz) on repression in Andalusia and the life of his grandfather, followed by presentations and readings by Spanish authors: Antonio Orihuela, Uberto Stabile, Manuela Parra, Gema Estudillo (interpretation in French).
- november 22 ? 2:30pm | Médiathèque Centrale Émile Zola: Tribute to Rafael Alberti with film screening and round-table discussion with Uberto Stabile (Alberti Foundation) and Manuel Soler Aznar (Autonomous University of Barcelona). Followed by readings of Alberti?s poems by poets. Antonio Orihuela will close the afternoon in memory of Jean Hervé Mirouze (interpretation in French)
- november 23 ? 3pm | Médiathèque Centrale Émile Zola : Recital-reading-music " Que mon nom ne s?efface pas de l?Histoire ", excerpt from the book Lettres aux Absentes : correspondances imaginaires de femmes en résistance, with Alexandre Pratlong, Manuela Parra, Marie-Noël Arras, Zia Pratlong, accompanied by Baptiste Gélineau (saxophone) and Joan Eche Puig (double bass).
- november 24 ? 6:30 pm | Salle Pétrarque: Presentation by students from collège Gérard Philipe of the "Graines de Résistance" project: interactive maps retracing the history of the Resistance in Montpellier and the surrounding region.
- november 25 ? 6 p.m. | La Gazette Café: Closing event with the lecture La liberté retrouvée, 1978-1986: La Movida madrilène by Pierre Berlan, in support of SOS Méditerranée.
