Alt Urgell Alt Urgell () is a ''comarca'' (county) in the Alt Pirineu region, in Catalonia, Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de ...

Alt Pirineu Alt Pirineu (; English: ''Upper Pyrenees'') is one of the nine regions (''Vegueries of Catalonia, vegueries'') of Catalonia. Located in the north-west of Catalonia, specifically by the Pyrenees, it covers the higher mountain regions from the Ara ...

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 ...

Bishop of Urgell The Diocese of Urgell (; ) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Catalonia (Spain) and the Principality of Andorra in the historical County of Urgell,co-princes of

Andorra Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a Sovereignty, sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Southwestern Europe, Andorra–France border, bordered by France to the north and Spain to A ...

. It is the most populated town of the region, with 17.4% of its population. La Seu d'Urgell and

Puigcerdà Puigcerdà (; , ) is the capital city, capital of the Catalan ''comarques of Catalonia, comarca'' of Cerdanya (comarca), Cerdanya, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, northern Spain, near the Segre River and on the border with France (it abuts ...

together have 30% of the population of the area. It has a population of . 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 Alt Urgell () is a ''comarca'' (county) in the Alt Pirineu region, in Catalonia, Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de ...

. Urgellet and Andorra were originally the

County of Urgell The County of Urgell (, ; ) is one of the historical Catalan counties, bordering on the counties of County of Pallars, Pallars and Cerdanya. History The county of Urgell was carved by the Franks out of a former section of the Mark of Toulouse w ...

with its capital in la Seu d'Urgell before the county expansion to the south.

Alt Urgell Alt Urgell () is a ''comarca'' (county) in the Alt Pirineu region, in Catalonia, Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de ...

is the gateway to the state of

Andorra Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a Sovereignty, sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Southwestern Europe, Andorra–France border, bordered by France to the north and Spain to A ...

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. The town's patron saints are Saint Ot of Urgell,Diocesan Museum of Urgell
the work of Sant Ot.

Saint Sebastian Sebastian (; ) was an early Christianity, Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Diocletianic Persecution of Christians. He was initially tied to a post or tree and shot with arrows, though this d ...

, and the Virgin of Urgell. While the

Virgin of Núria Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...

and Sant ErmengolDiocesan Museum of Urgell
the work of

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

. are the main patrons of the

diocese of Urgell The Diocese of Urgell (; ) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Catalonia (Spain) and the Principality of Andorra in the historical County of Urgell,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 ...

, and the altarpiece of Sant Ermengol. The

Segre Olympic Park Parc Olímpic del Segre is a canoeing and kayaking facility in La Seu d'Urgell, Catalonia, Spain, built in 1990 for use during the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The competition whitewater course is 300 m long, with a 6.5 m drop, making a ...

, built in 1992 for the Barcelona

Summer Olympic Games The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The 1896 Summer Olympics, inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, ...

, 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 languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

"Sedes", or seat, and ''Urgell'' a pre-Roman name. Catalan linguist

Joan Coromines Joan Coromines i Vigneaux (; also frequently spelled ''Joan Corominas''; Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico, by Joan Corominas icand José Antonio Pascual, Editorial Gredos, 1989, Madrid, . Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain ...

interpreted 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. {{circa, 798–870 Counts appointed by the Carolingians *798–820 Borrell, count of Urgell and Cerdanya *820–824 Aznar Ga ...

. 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 Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Catalonia (Spain) and the Principality of Andorra in the historical County of Urgell,episcopal see An episcopal see is 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, making it synonymous with ''diocese'' ...

of the

Bishop of Urgell The Diocese of Urgell (; ) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Catalonia (Spain) and the Principality of Andorra in the historical County of Urgell,GGCC, la Seu d'Urgell:
Origins.

Location

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

Gran Valira The Gran 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 Segre, which in turn ...

, 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 ( ; ) 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 Arabs of Al-Andalus ...

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

Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...

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

county of Urgell The County of Urgell (, ; ) is one of the historical Catalan counties, bordering on the counties of County of Pallars, Pallars and Cerdanya. History The county of Urgell was carved by the Franks out of a former section of the Mark of Toulouse w ...

. The roads to

Andorra Andorra, officially the Principality of Andorra, is a Sovereignty, sovereign landlocked country on the Iberian Peninsula, in the eastern Pyrenees in Southwestern Europe, Andorra–France border, bordered by France to the north and Spain to A ...

,

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 ...

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 to the south-east. It has a population of . Landmarks * Sant Serni ...

, 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 Can ...

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

Ribera d'Urgellet Ribera d'Urgellet () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Alt Urgell in Catalonia, Spain. It includes a small exclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An encla ...

, to the south-east with

Alàs i Cerc Alàs i Cerc () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Alt Urgell, Lleida, Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia ...

, and to the north-east with

Estamariu Estamariu () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Alt Urgell, Lleida, 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 ...

.GGCC, Seu d'Urgell:
Location and layout. 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 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, the area hosts 6.6% of the exhibitions and other civic activities 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 ...

. In la Seu d'Urgell, there are numerous fairs and markets throughout the year: * Traditional market takes place every Tuesday and Saturday in the Main Street. * Fira de Sant Ermengol, documented as the oldest of

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

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

Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park The Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park () is a natural park (Spain), 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 comarca, comarques of Alt Ur ...

Sport

At its

artificial whitewater An artificial whitewater course 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: Flow div ...

course,

Parc Olímpic del Segre Parc Olímpic del Segre is a canoeing and kayaking facility in La Seu d'Urgell, Catalonia, Spain, built in 1990 for use during the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The competition whitewater course is 300 m long, with a 6.5 m drop, making a ...

, the town hosted the

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

events for the

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics (, ), officially the Games of the XXV Olympiad (, ) and officially branded as Barcelona '92, were an international multi-sport event held from 25 July to 9 August 1992 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Beginning in 1994 ...

in neighboring

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of 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 c ...

. 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 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

,

2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...

and again in

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

.

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 Alt Urgell () is a ''comarca'' (county) in the Alt Pirineu region, in Catalonia, Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de ...

and

Solsonès Solsonès (, ) is a comarca (county) in the central region of Catalonia (Spain). It is part of historic county of Urgell The County of Urgell (, ; ) is one of the historical Catalan counties, bordering on the counties of County of Pallars, ...

2.282 m. * El Coscollet 1.610 m.

Notable people

The writer

Teresa Colom i Pich Teresa Colom i Pich (born 12 December 1973) is an Andorran author and poet. She won the Miquel Martí i Pol prize in 2000 and the Maria Àngels Anglada prize in 2016. She has published several collections of poetry, a collection of short stories, ...

was born here in 1973.

References

External links

Official website

Government data pages

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seu D'urgell