Montgat

Montgat is a Catalan city in the province of Barcelona, in northeastern Spain. It is located in the comarca of Maresme and belongs to the metropolitan area Area Metropolitana de Barcelona.

Location

The district of Montgat located in the extreme southwest of the comarca of the Mediterranean. It is bordered to the north by Tiana, whose Teilort Montgat was until 1936, on the east by Alella and El Masnou and to the west by Badalona.

A range of hills with the Turo de Montgat (64 m) as a distinctive edge in the coastline forms the west boundary to the level of Barcelona. Today, this characteristic hill is disfigured by the rail tunnel, built in 1848 as the first in the Iberian Peninsula, through the streets and through the limestone quarrying. In the south, the highway crosses from Barcelona to Mataró the district.

History

The place is documented from 991 ( " Monte Chatoi ", " Monte Cato " ), the castle Montgat 1006 by a donation to the monastery of Sant Cugat. The monastery remained master of the castle and town until the 13th century. Because of its strategic location on the Turo de Montgat the city of Barcelona acquired in the following century, the castle and used it as a lookout and signal tower.

Already in early reports was reported on the lime kilns of Montgat and evidence suggests that lime was used from the nearby Montgat for the mortar for the walls of Barcelona.

Culture and sights

The core of the present-day village Montgat arose from a fishing settlement at the foot of the hill, under the extant defense tower Ca n'Alzina from the 16th or 17th century.

Of the many festivals in Montgat are the Festa Sant Jordi majors (April 23 ) and in particular to Sant Joan (June 24 ), the patron saint of the town. Also in June Sant Pere (29 June ) is celebrated. Finally, on the night of July 11 finds the fisherman's festival Cara al Mar ( " sea view " ) instead of a procession on the beach, followed by spectacular fireworks.

Economy and Transport

With increasing industrialization and because of its proximity to Barcelona, the population grew from 2,400 in the year of independence (1936 ) uniformly on almost 10,000 today. The main industries include ceramics, chemistry and engineering, where medium-sized businesses predominate.

Montgat is accessed via the national road N-II from Barcelona to La Junquera on the French border and over the railway line from Barcelona to Mataró.

Twinning

• France Argeles- sur -Mer ( France) since 1989