Berga () is the capital of the ''

comarca A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, ...

'' (county) of

Berguedà Berguedà () is an inland comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain, lying partly in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees, and partly in the Catalan Central Depression. Geography The northern half of Berguedà, known as Alt Berguedà (“Upper Berguedà� ...

, in the

province of Barcelona Barcelona (, ) is a province of eastern Spain, in the center of the autonomous community of Catalonia. The province is bordered by the provinces of Tarragona, Lleida, and Girona, and by the Mediterranean Sea. Its area is .Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. It is bordered by the municipalities of

Cercs Cercs is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Berguedà in Catalonia. It is situated on the right bank of the Llobregat river above the Baells reservoir. It is the site of an important power station which burns the lignite extracted at Fígols a ...

Olvan Olvan is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of Catalonia, comarca of Berguedà, Catalonia. It is made up of the town of Olvan and part of the former industrial colony of Cal Rosal, on the Llobregat river. Economy The most imp ...

Avià Avià is a municipality in the Comarques of Catalonia, ''comarca'' of Berguedà, in Catalonia. Its population in 2007 was 2108 inhabitants. The municipality is made up of three towns: ''Avià'', ''Graugés'' and ''La Plana''. Its economical activ ...

Capolat Capolat is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of Catalonia, comarca of Berguedà, Catalonia, Spain. The geography is mountainous reaching 1500 meters about sea level. The population has always been sparcly settled due to the ...

and

Castellar del Riu Castellar del Riu is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of Catalonia, comarca of Berguedà, Catalonia, northern Spain. The municipal government is located at Llinars, which is not a village but just a few municipal buildings ...

History

Berga derives its name from the ''Bergistani,'' an Iberian tribe which lived in the area before the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

conquest. The Bergistani were first subdued by

Hannibal Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Puni ...

in 218 BC. They rebelled twice against the Romans and were twice defeated; after their second uprising, much of the tribe was sold into slavery.

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Ancient Rome, Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditiona ...

mentions their principal town, ', which was probably the precursor of the present-day town of Berga. Berga was ruled by

viscounts A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

in the

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

and had its own counts from 988. Berga was sold to king

Peter II of Aragon Peter II the Catholic (; ) (July 1178 – 12 September 1213) was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1196 to 1213. Background Peter was born in Huesca, the son of Alfonso II of Aragon and Sancha of Castile. In 1205 he acknowled ...

in 1199. In May 2012, the town council passed a motion declaring

King Juan Carlos King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

'persona non grata' following a series of scandals involving the royal family, most notably the king's recent elephant hunting trip to Africa in the middle of Spain's deepening recession.

La Patum

Berga is perhaps most famous for its traditional festival of "

La Patum The Patum de Berga (), or simply La Patum, is a popular and traditional festival that is celebrated each year in the Catalonia, Catalan city of Berga (province of Barcelona, Barcelona) during Corpus Christi (feast), Corpus Christi. It consists o ...

", a celebration which occurs every Corpus Christi, lasting for five days.

Free Software Street

On July 3, 2010 the world's first

Free Software Street Free Software Street ( ca, Carrer del Programari Lliure) is a street in the town of Berga in Catalonia, Spain. It is the first street in the world dedicated to the free software movement. It was officially opened on 3 July 2010. The street is ab ...

was inaugurated in Berga, during a ceremony attended by

Richard Stallman Richard Matthew Stallman (; born March 16, 1953), also known by his initials, rms, is an American free software movement activist and programmer. He campaigns for software to be distributed in such a manner that its users have the freedom to ...

Sister cities

Guernica Guernica (, ), official name (reflecting the Basque language) Gernika (), is a town in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. The town of Guernica is one part (along with neighbouring Lumo) of the mu ...

, Basque Country, Spain *

Tarascon-sur-Ariège Tarascon-sur-Ariège (, literally ''Tarascon on Ariège''; Languedocien: ''Tarascon d’Arièja'') is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primari ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Högsby Högsby is a locality and the seat of Högsby Municipality, Kalmar County, Sweden with 1,881 inhabitants in 2010. Other towns in the Högsby Municipality are Långemåla, Fågelfors, Berga and Fagerhult, of which Långemåla is probably the smalles ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

Vänorter

Notable people

Alfonsina Bueno Alfonsina Bueno Vela (1915–1979) was a Spanish activist who joined the French Resistance in 1941 and became part of the Ponzán group. With her husband and daughter Angelina she ran a house helping airmen on Escape and evasion lines (World War ...

Antonio Comellas y Cluet Antonio Comellas y Cluet (16 January 1832, in Berga – 3 June 1884, in Berga) was a philosopher. Comellas studied philosophy and theology in Vic, and entered the diocesan seminary in Solsona, Lleida. After his ordination (17 May 1856) he contin ...

José Cunill Postius José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced ...

References

External links

*
Government data pages
{{Authority control Municipalities in Berguedà Populated places in Berguedà