L'Hospitalet de l'Infant, Catalonia, Spain is coastal suburb of

Tarragona Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tar ...

, inside the municipality of

Vandellòs i l'Hospitalet de l'Infant Vandellòs i l'Hospitalet de l'Infant () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Baix Camp in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the south-west of the ''comarca'', between the Serra de Llaberia range and the coast. The town of Vandellòs ...

and southwest of

Baix Camp Baix Camp () is a comarca of Catalonia. It is one of the three comarques into which Camp de Tarragona was divided in the comarcal division of 1936. Baix Camp is located on the coast, between Tarragonès to the northeast and Baix Ebre to the south ...

. The town center is on a rocky promontory flanked by an extensive beach ("L'Arenal") and crossed by th
Llastres River
Tourism is one of the main economic activities of the town and the area represented by the regional brand Costa Daurada. The Local tourism brand is "L’Hospitalet de l’Infant i la Vall de Llors", which has three beaches: L'Arenal, La Punta del Riu, and El Torn. All are certified

Blue Flag beach The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its standards. The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE, which is a not-for-profit non-gov ...

es. The

GR 92 The GR 92 is part of the extensive GR footpath network of paths, tracks and trails in Spain. It will eventually run the length of the Mediterranean coast of Spain, from Portbou, on the border with France to Tarifa, the most southerly point of Spa ...

long distance footpath, which roughly follows the length of the Mediterranean coast of Spain, has a staging point at L'Hospitalet de l'Infant. Stage 27 links northwards to

Cambrils Cambrils () is a coastal town in the comarca of Baix Camp, province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The town is near the tourist town Salou and is frequently visited by those travelling by air using Reus Airport. History Roman empire to Midd ...

, a distance of , whilst stage 28 links southwards to

L'Ametlla de Mar L'Ametlla de Mar (), also called ''la Cala'' ('the bay' or 'the beach'), is a municipality within the comarca of Baix Ebre, situated in the coastal region between the "Cap de Terme" (to the North) and the "barranc de l'Àliga" (to the south). I ...

, a distance of .

History

Hospitalet de l'Infant - Hospital Medieval de l'Infant Pere 1

Atop the hill lies the remains of

Coll de Balaguer The Coll de Balaguer is a mountain pass in Catalonia, Spain. It is located at the point where the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range reaches the sea, in L'Almadrava, within the Vandellòs i l'Hospitalet de l'Infant municipality, Baix Camp. Despite its sc ...

, a fourteenth-century hospital for which the town is named. Ancient Roman authors and

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...

also mention a ''mansion Oleastrum'', accommodating travelers on the Via Augusta Roman (Barcelona-Valencia Road). The ''mansion'' is believed to have been located at the same site, and lends its name to the Llastres (Catalan ''Ullastres'', from Latin ''Oleaster'';

Avienius Postumius Rufius Festus Avienius (sometimes erroneously Avienus) was a Latin writer of the 4th century AD. He was a native of Volsinii in Etruria, from the distinguished family of the Rufii Festi. Avienius is not identical with the historian Fe ...

describes a "Oleum flumen" in his '' Ora maritima''). The Gothic hospital was built in 1344 at the command of the child Pedro of Aragon and Anjou shortly after his investiture in 1341 as Lord of Prades and Baron of Entença. Pedro sought in part to establish more permanent housing for the pilgrims and beggars along the road, but also to construct a fortress that would reduce the then-frequent attacks by corsairs.

"The Child's Hospital"

Hospitalet de l'Infant - Plaza del Pou 1

The building is an excellent example of Catalan Gothic civil architecture, with a 55 sq meter-area central courtyard, flanked by four towers. Each side leads to a nave through an arched door with wooden

lintel A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...

; main access was by the existing door to the southern tower, not the current access that leads to the Plaza Berenguer de Entença. The central courtyard has been modernized substantially; historically, the plaza featured a

treadwheel A treadwheel, or treadmill, is a form of engine typically powered by humans. It may resemble a water wheel in appearance, and can be worked either by a human treading paddles set into its circumference (treadmill), or by a human or animal standing ...

-powered well. The fortified nature of the building is reflected in 11.7-meter thick walls and 18-meter high towers. Surviving plans suggest that originally six towers were planned: one in each corner and two in the middle of the northern and southern walls, but only four were ultimately constructed. The building has no windows, except for remnants in the north-east and loopholes present around the perimeter. The building was an important fortification in the

Catalan Civil War The Catalan Civil War, also called the Catalonian Civil War or the War against John II, was a civil war in the Principality of Catalonia, then part of the Crown of Aragon, between 1462 and 1472. The two factions, the royalists who supported John ...

, and the site of the 1640 battle of Coll de Balaguer in the

Reapers' War The Reapers' War ( ca, Guerra dels Segadors, , es, Guerra de los Segadores), also known as the Catalan Revolt, was a conflict that affected a large part of the Principality of Catalonia between the years of 1640 and 1659. It had an enduring ef ...

. The building was most seriously damaged in the

Peninsular War The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...

. As a

hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory, with shared use of a lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex and have private or shared b ...

, the structure remained in use by travelers until the nineteenth century. The current historical site maintains four raised towers, the entrance to the Plaça del Pou, three facades and three gothic arches behind the patios of the houses inside.

Sant Roc Festivity and Hermitage

The Festival of Sant Roc is held on August 14–18. On the last day, there is a popular 5-km hike to the hermitage of Sant Roc located about 200 m above sea level. This building is located on the peak of the Serra del Mestral mountains, and offers splendid views of the town and its coastline.

References

External links

Official websiteTourist informationGeneralitat de CatalunyaInstitut d'Estadística de Catalunya
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hospitalet de L'Infant, La Populated places in Baix Camp