Lluís Permanyer i Lladós

Lluís Permanyer i Lladós (1939 – 23 October 2025) was a Spanish journalist and essayist known for six decades of work at La Vanguardia and for a body of books and audiovisual works on the Barcelona's history, culture and urban fabric.

Lladós received the City of Barcelona Journalism Award in 1987, the Luca de Tena Award in 1969, the National Journalism Award of Catalonia in 2008, and Spain's National Prize for Cultural Journalism in 2022.

Early life and education Permanyer was born in Barcelona in 1939, a city that later became the principal subject of his journalism and books. He studied law at the University of Barcelona and obtained a professional qualification from the Escuela Oficial de Periodismo before entering newsroom work. As a young reporter, he covered key civic events of the 1960s including the Caputxinada, attending as a correspondent and later recalling the censorship that followed in the press.

Career Permanyer joined La Vanguardia in 1966, first in the international section and later as a city chronicler focused on Barcelona. He remained associated with the newspaper for the rest of his life, with his final piece published on the day of his death describing the meeting between Joaquim Cabot and Lluís Millet that led to the Palau de la Música Catalana. He also presented a series of television documentaries on Barcelona, with eight titles cited across obituaries and agency reports. He declined roles that might compromise independence, including a government press post and the honorific of official city chronicler, preferring to write without institutional ties while remaining widely regarded as Barcelona's de facto chronicler. Earlier honors included the City of Barcelona Journalism Award, the Luca de Tena Award and the National Journalism Award of Catalonia. He also published volumes and profiles on Catalan artists including Joan Miró and Antoni Tàpies.

Death Permanyer died from a heart attack on 23 October 2025, at the age of 86. No wake or funeral took place because he had chosen to donate his body to science.