Sitges 1886-1969
She was known as la Cartrona, was the daughter of Antoni Cartró Escales and Maria Robert Camps, and sister to Isidor Cartró, town mayor (1939-1941), president of the Casino Prado Suburense and justice of the peace.
She was a nice lady who liked to dress extravagantly, especially on Sundays and important occasions like Festa Major.
As is customary in many small towns, Antonieta was given a nickname: the feminine form of her family name (Cartró-Cartrona) Her manner of dressing and her fondness of make up made her a very popular character. In fact, when a person was all dressed up people would say “you look like ‘La Cartrona’”. The nickname is friendly and reminiscent; it has never been used disparagingly.
In 2010, the Agrupació de Balls Populars presented a capgros (a large papier maché head) of la Cartona which we can see dancing with other capgrossos of past illustrious figures of the Sitges history like Santiago Rusiñol, Enric Morella, Pep Capella or Francesc Suárez in Festa Major and Santa Tecla, the town’s patron saint festivals.
Sitges 1886-1969
Known as la Cartrona, was the daughter of Antoni Cartró Escales and Maria Robert Camps, and sister to Isidor Cartró, town mayor (1939-1941), president of the Casino Prado Suburense and justice of the peace. She lived in carrer Major, 12 (which used to be number 8); on the ground floor we found her father's woodshop. She was a nice lady who liked to dress extravagantly, especially on Sundays and important occasions like Festa Major.
As is customary in many small towns, Antonieta was given a nickname: the feminine form of her family name (Cartró-Cartrona), and the nickname stuck with her for life (and afterlife). Her manner of dressing and her fondness of make up made her a very popular character. In fact, when a person was all dressed up people would say "you look like 'La Cartrona'".
Back then, in Barcelona "la Monyos" was a loved personality who dressed and coiffured in an extravagant manner; she originated the local turn of phrase, "You're more famous than la Monyos", or, if you were all dressed up, "you look like la Monyos". Sitges developed its own local variant of the phrase, which can still be heard at times.
Antonieta participated actively in the town's social life and was secretary of the Germandat de Santa Tecla (Santa Tecla Sisterhood). She was also particularly fond of animals (pigeons, hens, cats…).
She is part of our collective memory. Articles in L'Eco de Sitges often recall her beloved personality. Isidre Pañella brought her memory back in his Festa Major speech in 2008 and, in 2010, the Agrupació de Balls Populars presented a capgros (a large papier maché head) of la Cartona which we can see dancing with other capgrossos of past illustrious figures of the Sitges history like Santiago Rusiñol, Enric Morella, Pep Capella or Francesc Suárez in Festa Major and Santa Tecla, the town's patron saint festivals.
Vinyet Panyella recalls her "all dressed up as only she knew how in the days of Festa Major, loaded with necklaces, bracelets and brooches, with her blonde wig and Fellinian make up." Lali Vergés says she was "a nice and friendly person, she had many friends, many true friends."
And Montserrat Lago describes her in these words: "her face covered in rice powder, her cheeks two bright crimson circles […] eyebrows perfectly shaped and reddish lips, not caring much for the outline. A crochet or knitted bag hanging from her arm; a colorful or crocheted shawl on her shoulders to keep warm. The hem of her skirt not quite straight, hanging unevenly here and there […] a blouse and other layered garments. Pink or beige cotton tights, shoes or espadrilles, depending on the season; and all dressed up and smiling she'd go for a walk or to do the shopping, sometimes a lettuce head sticking out of her bag and little more. Her hair was somewhere between curly and wavy, twining in complicated coils on her head. From her neck hung a bunch of necklaces that had lost their iridescent shimmer from many years of being worn […] On her fingers she wore rings that fell in the same fake category […] All in all, she was an endearing figure that was part of the town's landscape in those years."
Bibliography:
“Els nous Cabeçuts, el Pep Capelles I la Cartrona” (2010), “l’Eco de Sitges”, 14 August, Sitges
Fontanals Blai, diverse sources
Lago, Montse (2010) “Cabeçuts”, “L’Eco de Sitges” 17 September
López Moya, Isabel (2018), oral testimony.
Pañella Isidre, (2008), https://www.sitgesfestamajor.cat/mes-informacio/arxiu/prego-2008/
Panyella Vinyet, (2010), “l’Eco de Sitges”, 21 August
Vergés Lali (2010), “La senyora Antonieta Cartró i Robert” “l’Eco de Sitges” 10 de September