Cerdanya () or often La Cerdanya
( la, Ceretani or ''Ceritania''; french: Cerdagne; es, Cerdaña), is a
natural comarca and
historical region
Historical regions (or historical areas) are geographical regions which at some point in time had a cultural, ethnic, linguistic or political basis, regardless of latterday borders. They are used as delimitations for studying and analysing soc ...
of the eastern
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...
divided between
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
and
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 ...
. Historically it was one of the
counties of Catalonia.
Cerdanya has a land area of , divided almost evenly between Spain (50.3%) and France (49.7%). In 2001 its population was approximately 26,500, of whom 53% lived on Spanish territory. Its population density is 24 residents per km² (63 per sq. mile). The only urban area in Cerdanya is the cross-border urban area of
Puigcerdà
Puigcerdà (; es, Puigcerdá) is the capital of the '' Catalan comarca'' of Cerdanya, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, northern Spain, near the Segre River and on the border with France (it abuts directly onto the French town of Bourg-Ma ...
-
Bourg-Madame
Bourg-Madame (; ca, La Guingueta d'Ix) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography Localisation
Bourg-Madame is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. I ...
, which contained 10,900 inhabitants in 2001.
The area enjoys a high annual amount of sunshine – around 3,000 hours per year. For this reason, pioneering large-scale solar power projects have been built in several locations in French Cerdagne, including
Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via
Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via (; ca, Font-romeu, Odelló i Vià), or simply Odeillo, is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales and Cerdagne near the Spanish border in the south of France. It comprises the villages of Odeillo and Via, as well as Font-Rom ...
, the
Themis plant near
Targassonne
Targasonne (; ca, Targasona; before 2022: ''Targassonne'') is a commune of Cerdanya in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in south of France.
Targasonne is the home of the THEMIS Solar Power R&D Center.
Geography
Targasonne is located in ...
, and
Mont-Louis Solar Furnace
The Mont-Louis Solar Furnace is an experimental solar furnace - a solar thermal energy facility that was built in 1949. It was the first facility of its kind in the world, and was a precursor of the Odeillo Solar Furnace. It provides a thermal p ...
in
Mont-Louis
Mont-Louis (; or ''el Vilar d'Ovansa'') is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography
Mont-Louis is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. Mont-Louis-La Cab ...
.
History
Antiquity
The first inhabitants of Cerdanya probably spoke a language related to the old
Basque language and to
Aquitanian.
Many place names testify to this.
In the first millennium BC came the
Iberians
The Iberians ( la, Hibērī, from el, Ἴβηρες, ''Iberes'') were an ancient people settled in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian peninsula, at least from the 6th century BC. They are described in Greek and Roman sources (amo ...
from the south. In Cerdanya they probably mixed with the native inhabitants, and the resulting people were known as the Kerretes, from the native word ''ker'' or ''kar'', meaning ''rock'', related to old Basque ''karri'' (modern Basque ''harri''), ''stone''.
The Kerretes were probably essentially of Basque and Aquitanian-related stock, as the Iberian clans who mixed with the native inhabitants can have comprised only small numbers of people.
The Kerretes retained a language related to old Basque and Aquitanian, although some Iberian words may have entered the language, and Iberians probably occupied positions at the top of the Kerrete society.
The main
oppidum
An ''oppidum'' (plural ''oppida'') is a large fortified Iron Age settlement or town. ''Oppida'' are primarily associated with the Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread across Europe, stretchi ...
of the Kerretes, commanding the whole country, was called ''Kere'' and was built on the hill above the modern-day village of
Llívia
Llívia (; es, Llivia ) is a town in the ''comarca'' of Cerdanya, province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is a Spanish exclave surrounded by the French ''département'' of Pyrénées-Orientales. In 2009, the municipality of Llívia had a to ...
(a Spanish
exclave in French territory). Later the Kerretes came under Roman rule, and the Romans renamed the oppidum ''Julia Lybica'',
with a significant number of Roman citizens settling there. During the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...
, the area of Cerdanya was a ''pagus'' known as ''pagus Liviensis'' (a name derived from its capital Julia Lybica), part of the province of
Hispania Tarraconensis. The ''pagus Liviensis'' was itself divided in two: the eastern part around Julia Lybica was known as ''Cerretania Julia'', while the western part was known as ''Cerretania Augusta''. The name Cerdanya comes from ''Cerretania'', itself coming from the old name of the inhabitants, the Kerretes. As for Julia Lybica, the name evolved into ''Julia Livia'' and then ''Llívia''.
The Kerretes seem to have kept their old language until very late, probably as late as the 8th or 9th century. Romanization in the area was extremely slow, even though eventually the native language gave way, and the people in Cerdanya ended up speaking
Catalan
Catalan may refer to:
Catalonia
From, or related to Catalonia:
* Catalan language, a Romance language
* Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia
Places
* 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...
, a language derived from Latin. At the end of the Roman Empire, Julia Lybica entered a period of decadence, and lost much of its importance. It is around this time that the town of
La Seu d'Urgell
La Seu d'Urgell (; es, Seo de Urgel, formerly in ca, Urgell}) is a town located in the Catalan Pyrenees in Spain. La Seu d'Urgell is also the capital of the comarca Alt Urgell, head of the judicial district of la Seu d'Urgell and the seat of ...
(in
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 nort ...
, but outside of Cerdanya) started to replace Julia Lybica as the main center of population in that area of northern Catalonia, and in the 6th century when the
diocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...
(bishopric) of Urgell was founded, Cerdanya was inside its limits.
Middle Ages
Devastated by the
Vandals
The Vandals were a Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century.
The Vandals migrated to the area betw ...
and other Germanic tribes, Cerdanya was part of the
Visigothic
The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is kno ...
kingdom of
Toulouse
Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Pa ...
and later
Toledo, until eventually it was conquered by the Muslims. After Muslim expansion was halted by
Odo the Great
Odo the Great (also called ''Eudes'' or ''Eudo'') (died 735–740), was the Duke of Aquitaine by 700. His territory included Vasconia in the south-west of Gaul and the Duchy of Aquitaine (at that point located north-east of the river Garonne), a ...
in the
Battle of Toulouse (721)
The Battle of Toulouse (721) was a victory of an Aquitanian Christian army led by Duke Odo of Aquitaine over an Umayyad Muslim army besieging the city of Toulouse, and led by the governor of Al-Andalus, Al-Samh ibn Malik al-Khawlani. The vi ...
, the Berber commander
Uthman ibn Naissa established a small realm in Cerdanya and allied with Odo, so that the Aquitanian leader could secure his south-eastern borders. However, Uthman ibn Naissa came next under Umayyad attack and the Berber lord was defeated, opening the way to
Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi
Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd Allah Al-Ghafiqi ( ar, عبدالرحمن بن عبداللّه الغافقي, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Ghāfiqī; died 732), was an Arab Umayyad commander of Andalusian Muslims. He unsuccessfully led into ...
's expedition into Aquitaine. During
Abd al-Rahman I's military campaign across the Ebro region (781), the Cordovan commander received the submission of Ibn Belaskut, or Galindo Belascotenes, in Cerdanya. Under Carolingian pressure, Cerdanya became a Frankish vassal about 785.
;County of Cerdanya
The
county of Cerdanya The County of Cerdanya ( ca, Comtat de Cerdanya, ; la, Comitatus Ceritaniae; es, Condado de Cerdaña, french: Comté de Cerdagne) was one of the Catalan counties formed in the last decades of the 8th century by the Franks in the '' Marca Hispanic ...
has its origin in the
Spanish Marches established by
Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...
. In the 9th century, Cerdanya was one of the lordships united in the person of the
counts of Barcelona
The Count of Barcelona ( ca, Comte de Barcelona, es, Conde de Barcelona, french: Comte de Barcelone, ) was the ruler of the County of Barcelona and also, by extension and according with the usages and Catalan constitutions, of the Principality ...
, who were also counts of
Girona
Girona (officially and in Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in 2020. Girona is the capital ...
,
Narbonne
Narbonne (, also , ; oc, Narbona ; la, Narbo ; Late Latin:) is a commune in Southern France in the Occitanie region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. It is located about from the shores of the ...
, and
Urgell
Modern-day Urgell (), also known as ''Baix Urgell'' (''baix'' meaning "lower", by contrast with Alt Urgell "Higher Urgell"), is a ''comarca'' (county) in Catalonia, Spain, forming only a borderland portion of the region historically known as Ur ...
.
Wilfred the Hairy
{{Infobox noble, type
, name = Wilfred
, title = Count of Barcelona
, image = Wilfredo el Velloso 01.jpg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Statue in Madrid, L. S. Carmona, 1750–53
, alt ...
(count 870–897) had three sons and established the youngest, Miron (died 927), as Count of Cerdanya, a sovereign state.
The sovereign county of Cerdanya bordered the
county of Urgell
The County of Urgell ( ca, Comtat d'Urgell, ; la, Comitatus Urgellensis) is one of the historical Catalan counties, bordering on the counties of Pallars and Cerdanya.
History
The county of Urgell was carved by the Franks out of a former sectio ...
, the
county of Barcelona
The County of Barcelona ( la, Comitatus Barcinonensis, ca, Comtat de Barcelona) was originally a frontier region under the rule of the Carolingian dynasty. In the 10th century, the Counts of Barcelona became progressively independent, here ...
, the
county of Besalú, the
county of Roussillon
The County of Roussillon ( ca, Comtat de Rosselló, , la, Comitatus Ruscinonensis) was one of the Catalan counties in the Marca Hispanica during the Middle Ages. The rulers of the county were the counts of Roussillon, whose interests lay both n ...
, and the
county of Razès. The county of Cerdanya was made up of Cerdanya proper with the addition of other areas which it managed to acquire over time through inheritance, such as
Capcir
Capcir (; ) is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, now part of the French department of Pyrénées-Orientales. The capital of the comarca was Formiguera, and it borders the historical comarques of Conflent and Alta Cerdanya. Ca ...
and
Conflent
Conflent () is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, now part of the French department of Pyrénées-Orientales. In the Middle Ages it comprised the County of Conflent.
The capital of this ''pays'' is Prades ( ca, Prada de ...
. Thus, the county of Cerdanya was actually quite an important county. The counts of Cerdanya were great patrons of abbeys, most famously
Saint-Michel de Cuxa
The abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa () is a Benedictine abbey located in the territory of the commune in France, commune of Codalet, in the Pyrénées-Orientales ''département in France, département'', in southwestern France. It was founded initial ...
(Catalan: ''Sant Miquel de Cuixà''), dating back to the 10th century and located in Conflent, and
Saint-Martin-du-Canigou
The abbey of Saint-Martin-du-Canigou (Catalan: ''Sant Martí del Canigó'') is a monastery built in 1009 in the Pyrenees of Northern Catalonia on Canigou mountain in present-day southern near the Spanish border.
Pau Casals wrote a composition ...
(Catalan: ''Sant Martí del Canigó''), dedicated by Count Guifred of Cerdanya in 1009.
However, the line of the counts died out in 1117 and the county was inherited by the counts of Barcelona, later to become
kings of Aragon
This is a list of the kings and queens of Aragon. The Kingdom of Aragon was created sometime between 950 and 1035 when the County of Aragon, which had been acquired by the Kingdom of Navarre in the tenth century, was separated from Navarre in ...
.
Modern times
Cerdanya proper was split between Spain and France by the
Treaty of the Pyrenees
The Treaty of the Pyrenees (french: Traité des Pyrénées; es, Tratado de los Pirineos; ca, Tractat dels Pirineus) was signed on 7 November 1659 on Pheasant Island, and ended the Franco-Spanish War that had begun in 1635.
Negotiations were ...
of 1659, with the north of Cerdanya becoming French, while the south of Cerdanya remained Spanish. The counties of
Rosselló,
Capcir
Capcir (; ) is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, now part of the French department of Pyrénées-Orientales. The capital of the comarca was Formiguera, and it borders the historical comarques of Conflent and Alta Cerdanya. Ca ...
, and
Conflent
Conflent () is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, now part of the French department of Pyrénées-Orientales. In the Middle Ages it comprised the County of Conflent.
The capital of this ''pays'' is Prades ( ca, Prada de ...
also became French at that time.
Today, the Spanish side of Cerdanya is a
Catalan ''comarca'' known as
Baixa Cerdanya
Cerdanya (; es, Baja Cerdaña, ; french: Basse-Cerdagne, ) is a ''comarca'' in northern Catalonia, in the Pyrenees, on the border of Catalonia with France and Andorra. Within Catalonia, Cerdanya is divided between Catalan provinces of Girona and ...
(i.e. "Lower Cerdanya"), and whose capital is
Puigcerdà
Puigcerdà (; es, Puigcerdá) is the capital of the '' Catalan comarca'' of Cerdanya, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, northern Spain, near the Segre River and on the border with France (it abuts directly onto the French town of Bourg-Ma ...
. Puigcerdà was already the capital of Cerdanya before the division of 1659, having replaced Hix in 1178 as capital of Cerdanya. Hix, the place where the counts of Cerdanya resided, is now a village inside the
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
of
Bourg-Madame
Bourg-Madame (; ca, La Guingueta d'Ix) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography Localisation
Bourg-Madame is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. I ...
on the French side of the border. Hix had itself replaced
Llívia
Llívia (; es, Llivia ) is a town in the ''comarca'' of Cerdanya, province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is a Spanish exclave surrounded by the French ''département'' of Pyrénées-Orientales. In 2009, the municipality of Llívia had a to ...
, which was the ancient capital of Cerdanya in
Antiquity. At the Treaty of the Pyrenees it was decided that Llívia would remain Spanish (allegedly because the treaty stipulated that only villages were to be ceded to France, and Llívia was considered a city and not a village, due to its status as the ancient capital of Cerdanya), so Llívia is now an
exclave of Spain inside French territory.
The French side of Cerdanya is part of the ''
département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...
'' of
Pyrénées-Orientales and has no particular status. People in France refer to it as ''Cerdagne française'' (that is, "French Cerdanya"), or just ''Cerdagne'', while people on the Spanish side refer to it as ''
Alta Cerdanya'' ("Upper Cerdanya"). Its main towns are Bourg-Madame and the ski resort of
Font-Romeu
Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via (; ca, Font-romeu, Odelló i Vià), or simply Odeillo, is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales and Cerdagne near the Spanish border in the south of France. It comprises the villages of Odeillo and Via, as well as Font-R ...
.
Despite the split between France and Spain, ties remain between families on both sides of the border, with frequent travel from one country to the other. During
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Cerdanya has been the place of an important smuggling trade in which horses and mules went from French to Spanish Cerdanya, before being sold to the French army and going back to France through
Le Perthus
Le Perthus (, ca, El Pertús, ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Natives of Le Pertus are called ''Perthusiens'' and, in 2016, there were 586 inhabitants.
Le Perthus is also one of French territories on ...
.
Municipalities
French side
Known as
French Cerdagne
French Cerdagne ( ca, Alta Cerdanya, ) is the northern half of Cerdanya, which came under French control as a result of the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659, while the southern half remained in Spain (as part of Catalonia). Catalans often refer ...
(Catalan: ''Alta Cerdanya'').
*
Angoustrine-Villeneuve-des-Escaldes
Angoustrine-Villeneuve-des-Escaldes (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography Localisation
Angoustrine-Villeneuve-des-Escaldes is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arr ...
(Catalan: ''Angostrina'')
*
Bolquère
Bolquère (; ca, Bolquera) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography
Localization
Bolquère is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades.
Transporta ...
(Catalan: ''Bolquera'')
*
Bourg-Madame
Bourg-Madame (; ca, La Guingueta d'Ix) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography Localisation
Bourg-Madame is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. I ...
(Catalan: ''La Guingueta d’Ix'')
*
Dorres
Dorres (; ca, Dorres) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography Localisation
Dorres is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades.
History
Various t ...
*
Égat
Égat ( ca, Èguet) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography Localisation
Égat is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades
The arrondissement of Prades ...
(Catalan ''Èguet'')
*
Enveitg
Enveitg (; , ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography Localization
Enveitg is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades.
Transport
Latour-de-Car ...
(Catalan ''Enveig'')
*
Err (Catalan ''Er'')
*
Estavar
Estavar (; ca, Estavar) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography
Estavar is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades
The arrondissement of Prades is an a ...
*
Eyne
Eyne (; ca, Eina) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography Localization
Eyne is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades.
Population
Sites of ...
(Catalan ''Eina'')
*
Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via
Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via (; ca, Font-romeu, Odelló i Vià), or simply Odeillo, is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales and Cerdagne near the Spanish border in the south of France. It comprises the villages of Odeillo and Via, as well as Font-Rom ...
(Catalan ''Font-Romeu'' or ''Odelló i Vià'')
*
La Cabanasse
La Cabanasse (; ca, La Cabanassa) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography Localisation
La Cabanasse is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades.
G ...
(Catalan ''La Cabanassa'')
*
Latour-de-Carol
Latour-de-Carol (; ca, La Tor de Querol) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography Localization
Latour-de-Carol is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Pra ...
(Catalan ''La Tor de Querol'')
*
Llo
Llo (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales Departments of France, department in southern France.
Geography
Llo is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades.
Population ...
*
Mont-Louis
Mont-Louis (; or ''el Vilar d'Ovansa'') is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography
Mont-Louis is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. Mont-Louis-La Cab ...
(Catalan ''Montlluís'')
*
Nahuja (Catalan ''Naüja'')
*
Osséja
Osséja (; ca, Oceja) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography
Osséja is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. Osséja station has rail connections ...
(Catalan ''Osseja'')
*
Palau-de-Cerdagne
Palau-de-Cerdagne ( ca, Palau de Cerdanya) is a commune in the eastern Pyrenees (Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France).
The people of the town celebrate the Xicolatada, every year, on the 16th of August.
Geography
Palau-de-C ...
(Catalan ''Palau de Cerdanya'')
*
Planès
Planès () is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography
Planès is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. Planès station has rail connections to Villefran ...
(Catalan ''Planès'')
*
Porta
*
Porté-Puymorens
Porté-Puymorens (; ca, Portè) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography
Porté-Puymorens is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades. Porté-Puymorens s ...
(Catalan ''Portè'')
*
Saillagouse
Saillagouse (; ca, Sallagosa) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
The inhabitants are called ''Saillagousains''.
Geography
Saillagouse is in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondisseme ...
(Catalan ''Sallagosa'')
*
Saint-Pierre-dels-Forcats
Saint-Pierre-dels-Forcats ( ca, Sant Pere dels Forcats) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography
Saint-Pierre-dels-Forcats is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement ...
(Catalan ''Sant Pere dels Forcats'')
*
Sainte-Léocadie
Sainte-Léocadie (; ca, Santa Llocaia, named after the catholic saint Leocadia) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography
Sainte-Léocadie is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in ...
(Catalan ''Santa Llocaia'')
*
Targassonne
Targasonne (; ca, Targasona; before 2022: ''Targassonne'') is a commune of Cerdanya in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in south of France.
Targasonne is the home of the THEMIS Solar Power R&D Center.
Geography
Targasonne is located in ...
(Catalan ''Targasona'')
*
Ur
*
Valcebollère
Valcebollère (; ca, Vallsabollera) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales Departments of France, department in southern France.
Geography
Valcebollère is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arr ...
(Catalan: ''Vallsabollera'')
Spanish side
Known as
Baixa Cerdanya
Cerdanya (; es, Baja Cerdaña, ; french: Basse-Cerdagne, ) is a ''comarca'' in northern Catalonia, in the Pyrenees, on the border of Catalonia with France and Andorra. Within Catalonia, Cerdanya is divided between Catalan provinces of Girona and ...
.
Economy
Like neighboring areas of the Pyrenees, Cerdanya relies on tourism to provide strong support for the economy. Spas, skiing, and hiking are long-established attractions. In addition the
Yellow train
The ''Ligne de Cerdagne'', usually referred to as ''Le Petit Train Jaune'' ( en, Little Yellow Train, ca, Tren Groc), is a gauge railway that runs from Villefranche-de-Conflent to Latour-de-Carol-Enveitg in the French Pyrenees. Construction st ...
is a major tourist attraction
La Cerdanya is best known amongst Barcelona locals and tourists for its skiing. "Masella" ski resort, located close to Urus and Alp, opened on January 3rd and, due to the mountain's orientation to the North, offers one the longest skiing season in the Pyrenees. The ski station today boasts of 62 slopes with 15 ski lifts, and since 2013, has nocturnal skiing. Physically adjacent to Masella, though requiring a different ski pass, is "La Molina" with 68 ski slopes. Due to La Cerdanya's close proximity to Andorra and France, its residents also enjoy skiing in "Font Romeu," "Formigueres," "Les Angles," and "Grandvalira."
Notable people
* Dr.
José Baselga, oncologist
References
External links
La Cerdanya''from Catalan Encyclopaedia''
County of Cerdanya''from Catalan Encyclopaedia''
Counts of Cerdagne:genealogical tree
Turisme CerdanyaPortal Cerdanya''
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