Prades is a municipality in 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, ...
'' 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 sout ...
, in the province 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 ...
,
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.
The main monuments are Santa Maria church in the town, as well as the Ermita de l'Abellera shrine located in an escarpment, outside the town's perimeter.
This town gives its name to the
Prades Mountains
Prades Mountains, also known as Muntanyes de Prades, is a large calcareous mountain massif straddling the comarcas of Alt Camp, Baix Camp, Conca de Barberà, Garrigues and Priorat, in Catalonia, Spain. They are a Site of Community Importance.
The ...
, located in the vicinity of the municipality. It is a high altitude town, very cold in the winter, but popular as a tourist spot in the summer.
History
Count
Ramon Berenguer IV made the concession of a
municipal charter
A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Traditionally the granting of a charter ...
to the place in 1159. The last
saracen
upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens
Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...
s were expelled from the area. By 1200 Prades had already its own market and the town grew in importance and power.
The County of Prades included the
Barony of Entença, as well as other towns in the area. Its total surface was 1,157 km² and its dominions extended across the present-day
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 sout ...
,
Priorat
Priorat () is a comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain. The central part of the comarca, "Priorat històric," produces the highly regarded wines that are certified under the DOQ Priorat. Wines from elsewhere in the comarca are certified as DO M ...
and
Alt Camp
Alt Camp () is a comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain.
It is one of the three comarques into which Camp de Tarragona was divided in the comarcal division of 1936.
Geography
Alt Camp is a county in the province of Tarragona in Catalonia, Spain. T ...
comarcas.
See also
*
Prades Mountains
Prades Mountains, also known as Muntanyes de Prades, is a large calcareous mountain massif straddling the comarcas of Alt Camp, Baix Camp, Conca de Barberà, Garrigues and Priorat, in Catalonia, Spain. They are a Site of Community Importance.
The ...
References
*Tomàs Bonell, Jordi; ''Descobrir Catalunya, poble a poble'', Prensa Catalana, Barcelona, 1994
External links
Prades Town Hall webpageGovernment data pages
Municipalities in Baix Camp
Populated places in Baix Camp
{{Tarragona-geo-stub