May 3, 1860 was a special day in Barcelona. The city welcomed the Catalan Volunteers and the Arapiles battalion that had triumphed in the African campaign with an epic atmosphere. Their victories had led to the signing of the peace, staged in Tetuan on April 26.
They arrived in two boats. There were so many local boats that they had moved ahead of the official welcome, which hindered the docking maneuver; the waters of the harbor were filled with flowers and wreaths.
The city appeared much more decorated than in previous similar celebrations. The ringing of the bells in the flight of all the churches was in unison, which created an intense and joyful atmosphere while alerting the people of Barcelona that the long-awaited moment had arrived; suddenly, the houses were emptied and the crowd suddenly swarmed the itinerary.
The authorities were waiting under cover in a large tent that had been improvised on the first street of Barceloneta. There was also the excited mother of General Prim, who had commanded the expeditionary campaign. The disembarkation had been the most spectacular, between bursts of applause and deafening cheers.
In Pla de Palau, where a large obelisk had been erected, the politician, writer and official chronicler Víctor Balaguer delivered the speech of welcome and praise in Catalan. There were not a few children who happily wore the Volunteer uniform.
Although it was raining, the citizens had not cowered as usual and overflowed the entire route.
The caravan that had been improvised was headed by a series of wagons with Volunteers carrying rifles. And then the rest paraded on foot.
When it faced the Rambla and arrived in front of the Casino Barcelonès, a building next to the Principal theater, the entourage stopped to be honored. The president of the society spoke a few words and handed over two large crowns, one to the commander of the Volunteers, Francesc Fort and another to the Arapiles battalion.
This building of the Casino, a leisure society founded in 1844, was later the headquarters of the Mercantile Circle and, later, of the Ateneu Barcelonès.
The triumphal march culminated in Plaça de la Constitució (Sant Jaume).
