Solsona is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

and capital of the ''comarca'' of the

Solsonès Solsonès () is a comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain. It is part of historic county of Urgell Modern-day Urgell (), also known as ''Baix Urgell'' (''baix'' meaning "lower", by contrast with Alt Urgell "Higher Urgell"), is a ''comarca'' (co ...

in the

province of Lleida The Province of Lleida (; Aranese Occitan: Lhèida ; es, Lérida ) is one of the four provinces of Catalonia. It lies in north-eastern Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Catalonia, and is bordered by the Provinces of ...

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 situated in the centre of the ''comarca'' in the Catalan Central Depression. It is served by the C-55 road to

Manresa Manresa () is the capital of the Comarca of Bages, located in the geographical centre of Catalonia, Spain, and crossed by the river Cardener. It is an industrial area with textile, metallurgical, and glass industries. The houses of Manresa are ...

, and is linked to

Berga Berga () is the capital of the ''comarca'' (county) of Berguedà, in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is bordered by the municipalities of Cercs, Olvan, Avià, Capolat and Castellar del Riu. History Berga derives its name from ...

and

Bassella Bassella is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Alt Urgell, in Catalonia, Spain. The village of Bassella, one of nine settlement which make up the municipality, is located at the confluence of the Segre river with the Salada river and at the ...

by the C-26. Until a few years ago, Solsona used to be the main road used by people from Barcelona to go to

Andorra , image_flag = Flag of Andorra.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Andorra.svg , symbol_type = Coat of arms , national_motto = la, Virtus Unita Fortior, label=none (Latin)"United virtue is stro ...

. The old town is known as the ''Nucli antic'': it preserves a large part of its

fortification A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

s. The

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

of Santa Maria de Solsona and the episcopal palace are in a neoclassical style. The latter houses the diocesan and comarcal museum and the Museum of Salt (''Museu de la Sal''), with crystals and objects made from the salt of nearby Cardona. One of the most important events in the city is Carnaval, a pagan celebration that marks the beginning of the Quaresma. Tens of thousands of people come from all over Catalonia and beyond, to participate in the celebration that lasts almost one week. Solsona is home to one of the oldest hunters' association of Catalonia, which held its 75th anniversary in 2015. The city also hosts the only big research centre of Catalonia located outside an urban area, the

Forest Sciences Centre of Catalonia A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

(CTFC), with around 100 people employed.

Notable people

Francesc Ribalta Francesc Ribalta (2 June 1565 – 12 January 1628), also known as ''Francisco Ribaltá'' or ''de Ribalta'', was a Spanish painter of the Baroque period, mostly of religious subjects. Biography He was born in Solsona, Lleida. Although his fi ...

, painter, (1565 - 1628) *

Cayetano Ripoll Cayetano Ripoll ( ca, Gaietà Ripoll i Pla) (1778, in allegedly from Solsona – 26 July 1826, in Valencia) was a Spanish schoolmaster who was executed for teaching deist principles. He is considered to be the last known victim of the Spanish ...

, martyr (1778 – 1826) *

Roger Mas Roger Mas i Solé (born 1975 in Solsona, Lleida) is a Spanish Catalan singer–songwriter. Biography Mas was born in 1975 to a family of musicians. When he was five years old, he began playing instruments under the guidance of his grandfather. ...

, singer–songwriter (born 1975) * Raül Garrigasait, translator, writer and editor (born 1979)

References

* Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria (1989). ''Guia de Catalunya'', Barcelona: Caixa de Catalunya. (Spanish). (Catalan). *

CTFC, with headquarters in Solsona is a leading forest and biodiversity research centre

External links

*
Government data pages
Municipalities in Solsonès Populated places in Solsonès {{Spain-geo-stub