Torredembarra

Torredembarra is a town in the Catalan province of Tarragona, in northeastern Spain. It is located in the comarca Tarragonès.

Geographical location

The community is developed (75 km), on the Costa Daurada and is the national road N -340, the A-7 motorway and the railway line between Tarragona Tarragona Barcelona (13 km) and Barcelona.

History

Torredembarra or La Torre, as the city is also often ( unofficially ) called, is of Roman origin. The importance of the settlement did not begin until 1057 with the donation of Raymond Berengar I, Count of Barcelona, ​​to some knight who promised in return to build a stone tower. The simple tower was initially, later called Clará Torredembarra. From this settlement time still bear witness to the Romanesque parts of the church of Sant Joan de Clará. After this old castle fell into disrepair over time, leaving the local feudal lord Lluís d' Icart 1565 build a fort-house in the center of the present city.

The city prospered in the 18th century due to the rise of the trade and business of the wealthy America returnees clearly.

Economy

The historic fishing town has evolved since the 1960s into a tourist center. Today, tourism is a major source of income of Torredembara.

Culture and tradition

According to legend, the arrival of an image of Santa Rosalia in 1640 ended a plague epidemic. Therefore, it is not the real name day of the patron saint on September 4, the most important holiday in Torredembarra, but the anniversary of the arrival of the image and it is celebrated La Festa del Quadre de Santa Rosalia ( " Festival of the image of Santa Rosalia " ) on 15 July.

Torredembarra has a tradition in Castells competitions; In 1983 came the establishment of these human pyramids to a fatal crash of a enxaneta the group Nois de la Torre.

Worth seeing

The parish church of Sant Pere was built in 1680 and 1705 with a Baroque organ. There also worshiped in Torredembarra image of Santa Rosalia depends.

The oldest surviving building in the town is the city of Mudejar tower from the 12th or 13th century. He may have been part of the old castle.

The Town Hall of Torredembara the former fort-house by Lluís d' Icart is the only secular Renaissance building, which is preserved in Catalonia.

Prior to the fine sandy beach 4 km long located on a concrete plinth on which formerly the towing machinery was fixed for the fishing boats, a sculpture by Rafael Bartolozzi: " Alfa i Omega ".

Twinning

• Villars in the department of Loire (France)