Sant Martí d'Empúries is an entity of the town of
L'Escala. It is located next to the ruins of
Empúries or Empòrion. Ancient Greeks established the settlement in the 6th century BC.
It was the county seat until 1079 Empúries moved to
Castelló d'Empúries place less exposed to attack.
Sant Martí d'Empúries is a staging point on the
GR 92 long distance footpath, which roughly follows the length of the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Stage 5, to the north, takes a route behind the coast to the ''El Cortalet'' pond in the
Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l'Empordà, a distance of . Stage 6, to the south, follows the coast to
l'Escala and then takes an inland route across the
Montgri Massif to reach the next staging point of
Torroella de Montgrí, a distance of .
History
It was an inhabited place since the arrival of Greeks from
Massalia, actual Marseille (France) in the 6th century BC. Greeks established a settlement there called it, Kypsela (). At the ancient times there is a possibility that there was a temple of
Artemis
In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Artemis (; ) is the goddess of the hunting, hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, transitions, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. In later tim ...
on the island.
[
It was Christianized by Saint Feliu, an African ]martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...
who died in 304 in Girona. He was bishop between 516 and 693. Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...
mentions Ermenguer as first Count of Empúries in 812.
References
External links
Sant Martí d'Empúries Parish.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sant Marti d'Empuries
Populated places in Alt Empordà
Greek colonies in Iberia
Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Spain