Bagà () is a Spanish

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

located in the

comarca A ''comarca'' (, , , ) 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, mark ...

Berguedà Berguedà () is an inland Comarques of Catalonia, comarca in the Comarques Centrals, central region of Catalonia, Spain. It lies partly in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees, and partly in the Catalan Central Depression. The capital is the city of Berg ...

, in

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

. Traditionally, Bagà is considered the capital of ''Alt Berguedà'', the mountainous northern half of the comarca.

Location

Bagà is located at the head of the valley of the

Llobregat The Llobregat () is the second longest river in Catalonia, Spain, after the Ter. It flows into the Mediterranean south of the city of Barcelona. Its name could have originated in an ancient Latin word meaning 'dark', 'muddy' or 'slippery', or ...

river, at the feet of the high mountains of the Cadí range. The town itself is at 785 metres above sea level. Bagà is 20 kilometers to the north of

Berga Berga () is the capital of the ''Catalonia/Comarques, 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 de ...

, and 7.5 kilometers to the south of the '' Túnel del Cadí'', a tunnel which crosses the Cadí range, connecting with the region of la

Cerdanya Cerdanya (; , ; , ) or often La Cerdanya is a natural region, natural comarca and historical region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain. Historically it was one of the Catalan counties, counties of Catalonia. Cerdanya has a ...

. The municipality includes a small

exclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...

to the west.

History

Bagà was founded in the 9th century A.D. when the region of Berguedà was repopulated by

Wilfred the Hairy {{Infobox noble, type , name = Wilfred , title = Count of Barcelona , image = , image_size = , caption = , alt = , CoA = , more = no , su ...

. The noble family of Pinós dominated most of ''Alt Berguedà'' throughout most of the Middle Ages and administered its domains from the town of Bagà, giving the town some importance. The town was redesigned in the 13th century by Galceran IV de Pinós, and is a rare example of medieval city planning. The town grew rapidly and by the beginning of the 14th century a new neighbourhood had to be built outside the town's walls to accommodate its growing population. Bagà was also granted a weekly market (which continues to this day) consolidating its role as a regional capital. As a curiosity, some medieval documents refer to a “Hugo of Bagà” being the founder of the

Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...

, though this is uncertain.

Population

The population of Bagà has increased in recent years primarily due to an influx of people from the smaller towns surrounding it.

Economy

The economy of Bagà once centered on the

textile industry The textile industry is primarily concerned with the design, production and distribution of textiles: yarn, cloth and clothing. Industry process Cotton manufacturing Cotton is the world's most important natural fibre. In the year 2007, th ...

and

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

. These industries provided the basis for the economy in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Since the collapse of these industries, the region’s economy has focused on

rural tourism Rural tourism is a form of tourism that focuses on actively participating in a rural lifestyle. It can be a variant of ecotourism, emphasizing sustainable practices and community involvement. Many villages can facilitate tourism because of the ho ...

, as well as winter sports tourists filtered from the nearby region of

The ''Fia-faia''

The ''Fia-faia'' is a celebration of the winter solstice dating from pre-Christian times which takes place in Bagà every

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas, the festival commemorating nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus. Christmas Day is observance of Christmas by country, observed around the world, and Christma ...

. A bonfire is set in the mountains to the west of the town, where the sun sets. After dark, inhabitants of the town set ''faies'', or bundles of ''Cephalaria leucanta'' alight and carry them from the bonfire to the central square of the town, where they are left on the ground. Children then jump over the fires, singing “Fia-faia, Fia-faia, que nostro senyor ha nascut a la palla”, or ‘Fia-faia, for our Lord is born in the hay’. Afterwards, bread is toasted over the fires and eaten with all i oli or

quince The quince (; ''Cydonia oblonga'') is the sole member of the genus ''Cydonia'' in the Malinae subtribe (which contains apples, pears, and other fruits) of the Rosaceae family. It is a deciduous tree that bears hard, aromatic bright golden-yel ...

paste.

Sites of interest

*St. Esteve de Bagà is the parish church of the town, built between the 14th and 15th centuries. *Santuari de la Mare de Déu del Paller is a neoclassical sanctuary two km outside town, dedicated to the town's patroness, the “Virgin of the Haystack” *Plaça Porxada, the town's central square, built in the 13th century

References

External links

Government data pages
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baga Municipalities in Berguedà Populated places in Berguedà