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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, Catalonia, Spain. It is bordered by the municipalities of Cercs, Olvan, Avià,
Capolat Capolat is a municipality in the 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 topography, like almost the whole region, the po ...
and
Castellar del Riu Castellar del Riu is a municipality in the comarca of Berguedà, Catalonia, northern Spain. The municipal government is located at Llinars, which is not a village but just a few municipal buildings including a small sports centre. Economy The mu ...
.


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 lett ...
conquest. The Bergistani were first subdued by Hannibal 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 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 judicia ...
in the Early Middle Ages and had its own counts from 988. Berga was sold to king Peter II of Aragon 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 t ...
'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 Catalan city of Berga ( Barcelona) during Corpus Christi. It consists of a series of "dances" (in Catalan, ''balls'') by towns ...
", 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 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 m ...
, 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. Tarascon-sur-Ariège station has rail connections to Toulouse, Foix and Latour ...
, France * Högsby, SwedenVänorter


Notable people

* Alfonsina Bueno * Antonio Comellas y Cluet * José Cunill Postius


See also

*
La Guita Xica La Guita Xica () is a dragon that appears amongst the legends of Catalonia beginning in 1890. The dragon had many names, including Guita Boja, La Guita Xica, Mulaguita, La Mulassa, Mula Fera, and Mula Guita. Its name transformed over time, orig ...


References


External links

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