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 ...

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 C ...

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 ...

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, ...

Bishop of Urgell The Diocese of Urgell is a diocese in Catalonia (Spain) and Andorra in the historical County of Urgell,

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 ...

Alt Pirineu i Aran Alt Pirineu i Aran
(in

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 ...

together have 30% of the population of the area. It is located at the confluence of the Segre and the Valira rivers.GGCC, la Seu d'Urgell:
Urban morphology. The city is in the local region of

Urgellet Urgellet () is a historical territory and a natural region of Catalonia. It is located in the Pyrenees exactly in the actual administrative comarca of Alt Urgell, that last includes Baridà, Urgellet and the banks of Oliana, Peramola and Bass ...

, a Pyrenean region formed by 16 municipalities of Alt Urgell. Urgellet and Andorra were the originary

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 ...

with capital in la Seu d'Urgell before the county expansion to the south. Alt Urgell is the gateway to the state of

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 ...

and the proximity to this important population center and economic activity is one of the main reasons for the current vigour of the city of la Seu d'Urgell within

Alt Pirineu i Aran Alt Pirineu i Aran
(in

Ot of Urgell Saint Odo of Urgell ( ca, Ot, Odó or Dot es, Odón) (c. 1065 – 1122) was a bishop of Urgell, noted for his care for the poor. He was from the family of the counts of Pallars Sobirà. He is buried in the monastery of Santa Maria de Gerri. In 1 ...

,Diocesan Museum of Urgell
the work of Sant Ot.

Saint Sebastian Saint Sebastian (in Latin: ''Sebastianus''; Narbo, Gallia Narbonensis, Roman Empire c. AD 255 – Rome, Italia, Roman Empire c. AD 288) was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Diocle ...

, and the

Virgin of Urgell Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

. While the

Virgin of Núria Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

and Sant ErmengolDiocesan Museum of Urgell
the work of

Saint Ermengol Saint Ermengol (also ''Armengol'' or ''Armengod'') or Hermengaudius (died 1035) was the bishop of Urgell from 1010. Possibly born in the village of Ayguatébia, he was the son of Bernat I, viscount of Conflent, and of his wife Guisla de Lluçi� ...

. are the main patrons of the

diocese of Urgell The Diocese of Urgell is a diocese in Catalonia (Spain) and Andorra in the historical County of Urgell,

. Sant Ermengol is the most prominent in the city than other patrons. Probably that's why there are various events throughout the year dedicated to Sant Ermengol, such as the Sant Ermengol Fair, one of the oldest 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 north ...

, and the altarpiece of Sant Ermengol. The Parc Olímpic del Segre, built in 1992 for the Barcelona

Summer Olympic Games The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

, is a pump-driven canoe and kayak sports venue located adjacent to the historical centre of la Seu d'Urgell.

Name origins

The name ''la Seu d'Urgell'', in Latin ''Sedes Urgelli'', is formed by two different words: ''Seu'' from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

"Sedes", or seat, and ''Urgell'' a pre-Roman name. Joan Coromines, a linguist, interprets that the name is related to the presence of water. The Iberian settlement of Arse-durgui (or Arse d'Urgui) was on the hill of Castellciutat. At that time the hill was called ''Puiolo Urgelli''. Where there was the village of Arse-durgui they built the city of Urgell (in Latin ''civitas Orgellia'' and in Catalan ''ciutat d'Urgell'') and here lies the origin of the name Castellciutat. Until the eighteenth century the town was known simply as "Ciutat" (City in English) and ''Castell'' (Castle) was added because the existence of an ancient castle that was home of the

Counts of Urgell This is a list of the counts of Urgell, a county of the Principality of Catalonia in the 10th through 13th centuries. c. 798–870 Counts appointed by the Carolingians *798–820 Borrell, count of Urgell and Cerdanya *820–824 Aznar Galínde ...

. Shortly after the destruction of the former Orgellia new neighborhood arose, which became the new home of the

Diocese of Urgell The Diocese of Urgell is a diocese in Catalonia (Spain) and Andorra in the historical County of Urgell,

. Its name ''vicus Sedes Urgelli'' indicates that the town is the

episcopal see An episcopal see is, in a practical use of the phrase, the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, mak ...

of the

Bishop of Urgell The Diocese of Urgell is a diocese in Catalonia (Spain) and Andorra in the historical County of Urgell,

. Over time, ''Sedes Urgelli'' took importance and lost the word ''vicus'' (denotes that it was a district) while ''civitas Orgellia'' lost the word ''Orgellia'' and becomes simply ''Civitas'' until the 18th century.GGCC, la Seu d'Urgell:
Origins.

Location

The city is at the confluence of two rivers, the Segre and

Gran Valira The Gran Valira (, es, Río Valira) is the largest river in Andorra. It flows through the capital, Andorra la Vella, and exits the country in the south near the Spain–Andorra road border crossing. The Gran Valira is a tributary to the Se ...

, located in a plain 7 km long and 691 meters high surrounded by high mountains, such as the Cadí mountain range. The plain is called plana de la Seu and was formed by the

Segre river The Segre ( or ; french: Sègre) is a river tributary to the Ebro (''Ebre'' in Catalan) with a basin comprising territories across three states: France, Andorra and Spain. The river Segre, known to Romans and Greeks as Sicoris, and to the Arab ...

. Because it is located at one of the major crossroads of communication in the Catalan

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 C ...

, la Seu d'Urgell has had a unique and historic role in 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 roads 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 ...

, Cerdanya and the low Segre all converge on la Seu d'Urgell. Parallel to the Valira river rises a mountain range, where stand the remains of two great fortresses, the Ciutadella and Ciutat Castle (in Castellciutat), both of historic importance in the town. Small banks or open plains around the Segre are separated by gorges. In the north, La Seu d'Urgell has borders with the municipality of

les Valls de Valira Les Valls de Valira is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Alt Urgell in Catalonia, that surrounds the south and south-west border of Andorra. It includes a small exclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger o ...

, to the west with

Montferrer i Castellbò Montferrer i Castellbò is a municipality in the '' comarca'' of Alt Urgell, Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. Montferrer i Castellbò towns: * Aravell * Bellestar * El Balcó del Pirineu * Montferrer de Segre * Sant Joan de l'Erm * Vilamitjana del Cant� ...

where there is La Seu d'Urgell Airport (also known as Andorra-Pirineus airport), to the south-west with Ribera d'Urgellet, to the south-east with

Alàs i Cerc Alàs i Cerc is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Alt Urgell, Lleida, Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its ...

, and to the north-east with

Estamariu Estamariu is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Alt Urgell, Lleida, Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its S ...

.GGCC, Seu d'Urgell:
Location and layout. The municipality includes a small exclave to the east.

La Seu d'Urgell municipality

*Bell-lloc. * Castellciutat (a village). *Les Torres. *La Seu d'Urgell districts: **Sant Antoni. **Sant Pere. **Poble-sec. **La Seu d'Urgell: ***Santa Magdalena. ***Serrat de la Capella. ***Eixample Bergós (non-official). ***Casc antic (''Town center historic district'' in English) (non-official).

Fairs, festivals and markets

Despite the low population density of

Alt Pirineu i Aran Alt Pirineu i Aran
(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 north ...

. In la Seu d'Urgell, there are numerous fairs and markets throughout the year: *

Traditional market A wet market (also called a public market or a traditional market) is a marketplace selling fresh foods such as meat, fish, produce and other consumption-oriented perishable goods in a non- supermarket setting, as distinguished from " dry mark ...

takes place every Tuesday and Saturday in the Main Street. * Fira de Sant Ermengol, documented as the oldest of

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 ...

,Diari d'Andorra
, Fair 2008. held on the third weekend of October. * Fira de Formatges Artesans del Pirineu (cheese fair of Pyrenean artisans). * Spring Fair held in April and includes an exhibition of the best examples of ''Vaca bruna dels Pirineus'', a cow from Pyrenees. * Fira d'Art, an art exhibition, held since 2007. * Mercat Medieval dels Canonges: a festival of street music, theater, circus, falconery and old offices. * Mercat de les is held twice a year. * International Music Festival Joan Brudieu began in 1969 and is held in July and August.

Attractions

* Church monuments: ** Santa Maria d'Urgell, cathedral of la Seu d'Urgell, in the square of Oms. ** Cloisters of the cathedral of Urgell. ** Diocese of Urgell Museum. It houses the Urgell Beatus illuminated manuscript. ** Palau Episcopal de la Seu d'Urgell (Episcopal Palace), the palace courtyard. ** Library of Sant Agustí, current municipal library where there was the old convent of Sant Agustí. ** Church of Sant Miquel along the cloister of Santa Maria d'Urgell is the only building that remains of the cathedral complex built by Sant Ermengol that dates from the year 1035. ** Old Church of Santa Immaculada and future conference room. ** Old Church of Sant Domènec, a Gothic building. It is used for conferences and exhibitions. ** Church of Santa Magdalena, the most important church from the social point of view. ** Seminari conciliar. To the north of the city, it is surrounded by a large courtyard building with a monumental facade featuring a neo-Romanesque design. Built in 1860 by Roman Samson. Carrer dels Canonges (5)

*Old Town, or historic center, where there are Canonges street and the Main Street, both of high architectural value, in addition to the courtyard of the Palau and square Oms where there are the City Hall. The Passeig de Joan Brudieu, the center of la Seu d'Urgell, is one of the most important streets and divides the old town and the new one. * Castellciutat village, has panoramic views over the Tower of Solsona, the castel and Ciutadella. * Educational Centers ** Cultural Center "Les Monges" (''The Nuns''), there are the schools of dance, music and plastic arts in addition to municipal child care, a center of

UNED The National Distance Education University, known in Spanish as ''Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia'' (UNED), is a public research university of national scope. The university was founded in 1972 under the Ministry of Universities ...

. ** IES Joan Brudieu: Institute for secondary education, high school. *

Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park The Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park ( ca, Parc Natural del Cadí-Moixeró) is a natural park to the north of Catalonia, Spain, near the border with Andorra. The park was established in 1983 and encompasses of mountainous terrain in the comarques of ...

Sport

At its

artificial whitewater An artificial whitewater course (AWWC) is a site for whitewater canoeing, whitewater kayaking, whitewater racing, whitewater rafting, playboating and slalom canoeing with artificially generated rapids. Course types Main types of course: ...

course, Parc Olímpic del Segre, the town hosted the

canoe slalom Canoe slalom (previously known as whitewater slalom) is a competitive sport with the aim to navigate a decked canoe or kayak through a course of hanging downstream or upstream gates on river rapids in the fastest time possible. It is one of ...

events for the 1992 Summer Olympics in neighboring

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

. It hosted the

ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships The ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships are an international event in canoeing organized by the International Canoe Federation. The World Championships have taken place every year in non- Summer Olympic years since 2002. From 1949 to 1999, they ...

in 1999, 2009 and again in 2019.

Demography

Incorporation of the municipality of les Torres (1857), Castellciutat (1975).

Highest summits

* Pic de Salòria 2.789 m. * Monturull 2.761 m. * Torreta de Cadí 2.562 m. * Cap del Verd in Alt Urgell and

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 ...

2.282 m. * El Coscollet 1.610 m.

Notable people

The writer Teresa Colom i Pich was born here in 1973.

References

External links

Official website

Government data pages

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seu D'urgell