Roser Capdevila: a life of drawings and landscapes

If you're one of those people who grew up watching the Boring Witch kick three sisters with a great sense of humor and a good dose of mischief... you'll surely know exactly who Roser Capdevila is! A tireless illustrator, storyteller of magical worlds, and the (literal!) mother of The Triplets, Roser is one of those people who has left her mark on the childhood of many Catalans...

At femturisme.cat, we were fortunate enough to interview her to discover not only her favorite spots in Catalonia, but also her most tender and emotional vision of our country. With her, we travel through landscapes, memories, and emotions—and yes, don't rule out the possibility of a Melliza wandering around while the Witch ruminates in the background...

A illustrator of stories and landscapes, Roser Capdevila shares with us the places and experiences that have shaped her.

What is your favorite spot in Catalonia?

Wow... There are so many! There are so many places I like... From Montseny to the Delta, passing through the Pyrenees. Honestly, I couldn't pick a specific place.

I'd love to be able to say just one, but over the years I've traveled almost all of Catalonia and there are many truly beautiful places.

For example, the Pla de Lleida... there are moments that are spectacular depending on the time of year, the light, the clouds... There are moments that are magical, and the same landscape, on another day, can look completely different to you.

The Pla de Lleida offers changing and surprising landscapes throughout the year. In spring, towns like Aitona are filled with pink flowers; in summer, grain fields dominate the horizon.

Is there any place in Catalonia that brings back childhood memories?

I'm from Barcelona, and as a child, I never left the university environment much. But one summer, some friends—relatives, in fact—invited me to spend a few days at a place where they used to spend their summers: a small town in the Penedès region, Sant Joan de Mediona.

There I discovered a new world for me: the wheat fields, with that intense golden color, the nights full of stars...

I particularly remember those golden fields, which seemed to go on forever. And when it was windy, they danced so beautifully… It's an image that has stayed with me forever, like a Van Gogh painting.

San Juan de Mediona is a town surrounded by vineyards and forests, with hiking and cycling routes and an ideal environment for unwinding.

What Catalan experience or tradition do you think everyone should experience at least once?

Patum de Berga brought tears of emotion to my eyes. It's such an intense, unique festival... The Eagle Dance captivated me: the solemn music, the atmosphere in the square... it touched me deeply. Tears flowed down my face.

The Patum is a centuries-old festival in Berga, celebrated during Corpus Christi and declared an Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Fire, giants, and pure excitement. Don't miss the Eagle Dance!

If you had to recommend just one thing to someone visiting Catalonia for the first time, what would it be?

Well, look, as a Barcelona native, I'll tell you one thing: Barcelona is a very interesting city. It has unique buildings and a very varied architecture, such as the Pedralbes Monastery, a true gem.

Barcelona has beautiful spots: the Gothic Quarter, the Raval … It has a little bit of everything. When I have visitors at home, I always take them for a walk around my city.

I love my city very much, because it is my home.

And then, if we have more time, it's also very interesting to go up to Montserrat and, if we still have more days, then I make them fly around all of Catalonia, because there are always interesting and beautiful places to discover.

The Pedralbes Monastery is one of the finest examples of Catalan Gothic architecture. Montserrat, with its monastery and the unique shape of the mountain, is a spiritual and natural symbol of Catalonia.

What corner of Catalonia have you still wanted to discover?

I guess we've visited a lot of places. My husband, Joan, and I traveled across Catalonia from one end to the other.

Now we can't travel as freely as before because our driver's license has expired. We depend on our daughters now, but if we tell them we want to go somewhere, I'm sure they'll take us.

However, I think we've pretty much covered everything. Maybe I'm leaving out some important places, I don't know... But honestly, I couldn't say for sure.

How did the idea of creating The Triplets come about?

It all started somewhat by chance. One day, Mercè Company, a writer, and I were stopped at a red light on a street in Barcelona. We were both riding motorcycles. And she said to me: "Hey, Roser, you have twin girls... We could write some stories!"

And so it all began.

Shortly after, he came home, talked to the girls—who were already ten years old at the time—and we began the adventure of The Triplets.

We never would have imagined that he would go as far as he has.

What do you think is the key to the success of The Triplets?

I don't know because, when I was drawing them, I never imagined they would go so far, that they would cross so many borders. And there's no need to even talk about the series...
The series has aired all over the world!

I don't know how to explain it to you, but what I do know is that I tried to work closely with the scriptwriters and animators, who are the ones who give the characters movement. We worked together as a team.

In the end, we made a series of 104 half-hour episodes, and you can still watch them today if you look them up online.

After this fun and intimate time with Roser, we can't help but smile thinking about everything she shared. With the same warmth she draws, she spoke to us about her homeland with sparkling eyes and vivid memories.

Her vision of Catalonia is as broad as her creativity, and it confirms one thing: the magic of the Triplets doesn't end when the credits roll... it lives on in every memory, every corner, and every adventure that still awaits us. And if you ever run into the Bored Witch along the way, don't panic: give her a big smile, because she's probably about to send you on an adventure you couldn't even imagine!