Balaguer (Catalan pronunciation: [balaˈɣe]) is the capital of the comarca of Noguera, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. It is located by the river Segre, a tributary to the Ebro. The municipality includes an exclave to the east. Balaguer also has a sister city in the western United States, Pacifica, California.
Balaguer | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 41°47′24″N 0°48′18″E / 41.790°N 0.805°E | |
Country | Spain |
Community | Catalonia |
Province | Lleida |
Comarca | La Noguera |
Government | |
• Mayoress | Lorena González Dios (2023- ) |
Area | |
• Total | 57.3 km2 (22.1 sq mi) |
Elevation | 233 m (764 ft) |
Population (2018)[2] | |
• Total | 16,841 |
• Density | 290/km2 (760/sq mi) |
Demonyms | Balaguerí, balaguerina |
Climate | Cfa |
Website | www |
Balaguer was conquered from the Moors by Ermengol VI of Urgell in 1106; he made it his new capital, and it remained so for subsequent counts of Urgell.
A Jewish community existed in Balaguer from the 11th century to the expulsion of the Jews in 1492.[3]
The town has a Gothic bridge, the "Pont de Sant Miquel", over the Segre river. This bridge was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War in the battle of "Cap de Pont" (bridgehead battle in 1938) and rebuilt after the war.
Another Gothic building is the Santa Maria Church, in the heights above the city, in line with a quite finely conserved wall dating to the 15th century AD.
The historic mansion Palauet de la muralla de Balaguer, converted to a hotel, is located in the city center and part of the old city wall forms the back of the building.
The historic town is on the right bank of the Segre but, following the Spanish Civil War, construction began on a modern bridge, which initiated development of a modern extension of the town on the left bank.
General Franco's forces first entered Catalonia from Aragon in 1938 through Balaguer's bridgehead.
Culture
editThis section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2023) |
Music
edit- Hot Numbers (1996), a musical fusion band
Notable natives
edit- Josep Ivan Argelaga, performance artists "dogman"[4]
- Gaspar de Portolà, founder of San Diego (United States) and Monterey (United States).
- Peter IV of Aragon, King of the Crown of Aragon.
- Antoni Torres García, footballer
- Xavier Sánchez Bernat, basketball player
- Roberto Martínez, former footballer and football manager of the Portuguese national football team
- Teresa Pàmies, writer, political activist and mother of Sergi Pàmies.
- Felipe Cardeña, artist
- Josep Pàmies, pagès, entrepreneur and activist[5]
- James II, Count of Urgell, royal Count
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "El municipi en xifres: Balaguer". Statistical Institute of Catalonia. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
- ^ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
- ^ "Balaguer, Spain". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- ^ "There's A Naked Guy Crawling Around Barcelona Pretending To Be A Dog". HuffPost UK. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ "Josep Pàmies Story". Slow Food. 2 July 2007. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- Palomero, Aaron Gutiérrez, "Planificación urbana y vivienda obrera en Balaguer (1939 – 1962). Ocupación del margen izquierdo" Scripta Nova: Revista Electrónica de Geografía y Ciencias Sociales, Vol. VII, núm. 146(025), 1 de agosto de 2003. (in Spanish)
External links
edit- Official municipal web site (in Catalan)
- Government data pages (in Catalan)