Tàrrega
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Tàrrega is a town and
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 ...
located in the
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 ...
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, ...
,
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 ...
. According to the 2020 census (
Statistical Institute of Catalonia The Statistical Institute of Catalonia (in Catalan: Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya, usually referred to by its acronym IDESCAT) is the official body responsible for collecting and publishing statistics in the autonomous community of Cataloni ...
), the town has a population of 17,445. The village has a
Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
with certain influences from the
Continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 north), within large landmasses where prevailing winds blow overland bringing som ...
. Local attractions include a park at Sant Eloi mountain () with a Romanesque church of the 13th century. Its theatre fair, held annually each September, attracts over 100,000 people a year.


History

Tàrrega's growth began in the 11th century, when Count Ramon Berenguer I conquered its castle. Located at a strategic crossroad,
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
Tàrrega became an important economic and territorial possession. Indications of the town's vitality at the time include its Jewish community, its fairs and markets, and its large amount of artisans (especially
goldsmith A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Nowadays they mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, goldsmiths have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), pl ...
s). This period of prosperity was ended by the
Black Death The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...
, which depopulated the town. On 26 July 1348 the Jews of Tàrrega were victims of one of the earliest episodes of anti-Jewish violence related to the Black Death. Both Christian and Jewish sources attest to the murders. It is estimated that 800 Jews were murdered. (In 2007, excavations in Tàrrega identified the possible location of the medieval Jewish cemetery. Subsequent excavations confirmed that multiple individuals buried in six communal graves had suffered violent deaths.) Construction of Tàrrega's walls began to monopolize its resources, spurred by the fear of feudal violence. From the 16th to the 19th centuries, Tàrrega began to take on a more rural character, controlled by rich local families. A series of wars in the region caused instability in the city, as well as three revolts of Carlists. In the second half of 19th century, Tàrrega underwent a revival. Important events in this time included the inauguration of a railway line connecting the town with
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
Lleida Lleida (, ; Spanish: Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It is also the capital city of the Segrià comarca, as ...
in 1860, reconstruction of the walls after a
flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
in 1874, and the granting of the title of city by
King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
Alfonso XII Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as El Pacificador or the Peacemaker, was King of Spain from 29 December 1874 to his death in 188 ...
in 1884. This period also saw the establishment of modern
infrastructure Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and priv ...
in the city.


Geography

The city of Tàrrega is arranged around the square of Carme, better known as "the Courtyard" ( ca, el Pati). The square features a statue of the classical composer Ramon Carnicer, a famous Tàrrega resident. Adjacent to the square is the Convent of Carme, a
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
cloister which dates to the 16th century. Notable buildings in the town square include the town council building, built in 1674, as well as the 19th century
modernist Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...
chamber of commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ad ...
building and the 1910
La Caixa La Caixa, also known as the "La Caixa" Foundation ( es, Fundación ”la Caixa”), is a not-for-profit banking foundation based in Catalonia. Originally a savings bank (''caja''), it reorganized in the 2000s and 2010s: Its commercial assets are ...
savings bank A savings bank is a financial institution whose primary purpose is accepting savings account, savings deposits and paying interest on those deposits. History of banking, They originated in Europe during the 18th century with the aim of providi ...
. Other local landmarks include the museum on the main street, which still preserves some noble rooms from the 18th and 19th centuries, and the church of Saint Anthony ( ca, Sant Antoni) in the square of the same name, which dates back to the 14th century. Higher up are the ruins of the castle of
Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
Ramon Berenguer, constructed in 1056. Little remains of the castle. The municipality includes the villages of El Talladell, Claravalls, Altet, Santa Maria de Montmagastrell, La Figuerosa, Riudovelles, and Conill (abandoned).


Notable residents

* Mossèn Azà, poet *
Joan Capdevila Joan Capdevila Méndez (; born 3 February 1978) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a left back. Over 15 seasons in La Liga, he amassed totals of 410 matches and 36 goals, mainly for Deportivo and Villarreal. In a 21-y ...
, footballer * Ramon Carnicer,
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 ...
composer *
Alfonso Costafreda Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic kingdom in the Iberian peninsula. ...
, poet * Francesc Marsà Figueras, painter * Josep Güell i Guillaumet, musician * Josep Minguell, painter *
Manuel de Pedrolo Manuel de Pedrolo i Molina (; 1918 – 1990) was a spanish author of novels, short stories, poetry and plays. He's mostly known for his sci-fi novel ''Mecanoscrit del segon origen'' ('' Typescript of the Second Origin''). Mini-biography Manuel ...
,
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 ...
author * Anton Tartera, painter


References


External links

*
Official website of Tàrrega's fair

Government data pages
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarrega Municipalities in Urgell Populated places in Urgell