Balaguer () is the capital of the ''
comarca'' of
Noguera, in the province of
Lleida
Lleida (, ; Spanish: Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida.
Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It is also the capital city of the Segrià comarca, as ...
,
Catalonia,
Spain. It is located by the
river Segre
The Segre ( or ; french: Sègre) is a river tributary to the Ebro (''Ebre'' in Catalan) with a basin comprising territories across three states: France, Andorra and Spain.
The river Segre, known to Romans and Greeks as Sicoris, and to the Arabs ...
, a tributary to the
Ebre. The municipality includes an
exclave
An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
to the east. Balaguer also has a sister city in the western United States,
Pacifica, California
Pacifica ( es, Pacífica, meaning "Peaceful") is a city in San Mateo County, California, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean between San Francisco and Half Moon Bay.
Overview
The City of Pacifica is spread along a stretch of coastal beaches and hi ...
.
Balaguer was conquered from the
Moors by
Ermengol VI of Urgell in 1106; he made it his new capital, and it remained so for subsequent counts of Urgell.
The town has a
Gothic bridge, the "Pont de Sant Miquel", over the Segre river. This bridge was destroyed during the
Spanish Civil War in the battle of "Cap de Pont" (bridgehead battle in 1938) and rebuilt after the war.
Another Gothic building is the Santa Maria Church, in the heights above the city, in line with a quite finely conserved wall dating to the 15th century AD.
The historic town is on the right bank of the Segre but, following the
Spanish Civil War, construction began on a modern bridge, which initiated development of a modern extension of the town on the left bank.
General Franco's forces first entered Catalonia from Aragon in 1938 through Balaguer's bridgehead.
Notable natives
*Josep Ivan Argelaga, performance artists "dogman"
*
Gaspar de Portolà, founder of
San Diego (United States) and
Monterey (United States).
*
Peter IV of Aragon
Peter IV, ; an, Pero, ; es, Pedro, . In Catalan, he may also be nicknamed ''el del punyalet'': "he of the little dagger". (Catalan: ''Pere IV''; 5 September 1319 – 6 January 1387), called the Ceremonious (Catalan: ''el Cerimoniós''), w ...
, King of the
Crown of Aragon.
*
Antoni Torres García, footballer
*Xavier Sánchez Bernat, basketball player
*
Roberto Martínez, former footballer and football manager of the
Belgium national football team
The Belgium national football teamfrench: Équipe nationale belge de footballgerman: Belgische Fußballnationalmannschaft officially represents Belgium in men's international football since their maiden match in 1904. The squad is under the ...
*
Teresa Pàmies, writer, political activist and mother of
Sergi Pàmies.
*
Felipe Cardeña
Felipe Cardeña is a street artist, known for floral patterns, pop art figures and modern collages, many of which are aimed at challenging consumer society.
He was born in Spain in 1979, but lived in Cuba for some time. Operating in an anonymous ...
, artist
See also
*
Lord of Balaguer
Lord or Lady of Balaguer ( ca, Senyor de Balaguer) is a title historically held by the person first in line to the Kingdom of Majorca, a part of the Crown of Aragon. The current holder is Princess Leonor, Princess of Asturias, Leonor, elder daught ...
*
Balaguer Offensive
The Balaguer Offensive was an offensive carried out by the Spanish Republican Army around Balaguer, Catalonia, during the Spanish Civil War. The offensive consisted in a series of counterattacks in the spring and summer of 1938 after the disastrou ...
References
*Palomero, Aaron Gutiérrez
"Planificación urbana y vivienda obrera en Balaguer (1939 – 1962). Ocupación del margen izquierdo"''Scripta Nova: Revista Electrónica de Geografía y Ciencias Sociales'', Vol. VII, núm. 146(025), 1 de agosto de 2003.
External links
Official municipal web site
Government data pages
Municipalities in Noguera (comarca)
Populated places in Noguera (comarca)
{{Lleida-geo-stub