This article presents an overview of the history of athenaeums in Catalonia during the 19th and 20th centuries until the transition to democracy in the 1980s. This article outlines the essential role played by athenaeums as the backbone of the country, particularly from the cultural standpoint, while also noting that in Catalonia athenaeums have clearly gone beyond their initial cultural mission to play a key role in the political development of contemporary Catalonia as well.