Tossa de Mar

Tossa de Mar is a very popular Catalan seaside resort with historic old town and fortress on the Costa Brava in the comarca of La Selva the province of Girona (Spain).

Location and Geography

Tossa de Mar is located about 90 km northeast of Barcelona and 85 km southwest of Port Bou on the French border in a bay between steep cliffs falling to the Mediterranean. Tossa is traversed by the eponymous river Tossa ( Tossa de Riera ), which flows beneath the city walls into the sea. The vegetation is dominated by cork oak, pine and pine forests in the midst of the rugged coastal mountains. There are small beach coves, two of which awarded the Blue Flag Between the headlands. The largest nature reserve further inland is the national park in the Gavarres mountains, one of the on 14 December 1992 legally recognized by the Catalan government Pla d' Espais d' Interès Natural areas.

History

According to archaeological finds ( stone tools and pottery ) was already inhabited the area around Tossa de Mar, in the Neolithic period. A Roman settlement with Iberian precursor was discovered in 1914 at today's western outskirts. The excavations of 1934 promoted the ruins of an oil mill, a villa, a spa resort as well as coins from the 1st to 4th century AD -a-days. From a floor mosaic are aware of the name of the settlement - Turissa - and the villas owner - Salvo Vitale - handed.

In the early Middle Ages, the ownership of Tossa appear in some documents. 966 joined Count Miró of Barcelona the terrain to the Benedictine Abbey of Santa Maria de Ripoll from; this kept the formal sovereignty over the surrounding countryside to the end of feudalism in Spain 1835. 1187 gave the abbot of Ripoll Tossa de Mar city law.

Between the 12th and 14th century the settlement was walled and provided with seven defense towers. On the hill Guardi a church whose ruins are still partially preserved arose. The fortress for protection against pirates in the 16th century under Philip II (Spain ) on top of the hill by a watchtower called Torre dels Moros ( Moors Tower ), extended.

In 1500 the first houses were handed down outside the city walls, and over the next centuries, the expansion of the town continued within its natural boundaries between the rocky mountains.

Until the Second World War agriculture and forestry were the main sources of income of Tossa de Mar. cork was exported worldwide and the local wine was also very much appreciated. Was fishing, although the place is on the coast, only in third place and is still the livelihood of a few local families. In the first half of the 20th century writers and artists discovered the picturesque setting of the village; because it is the only coastal town on the Costa Brava, the fortification is around the historic old town almost completely preserved. Marc Chagall, who often chose the scene of Tossa in the 1930s to his subject, called the city The blue paradise.

The rise of the community as a tourist center began after in Tossa 1951, the film " Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" with Ava Gardner and James Mason were filmed. In the building boom of the 1960s and 1970s to build the package tourism on the Costa Brava Tossa hardly participated; However, the infrastructure comes in the peak summer months, where Tossa ten times its population of visitor flows - including many day-trippers - has to cope with, its capacity limits. After the main beach has now also opened for recreational boats, he is hopelessly overcrowded in the two summer months.

Tourism

Three sandy beaches and an attractive waterfront characterize the seaside tourism in the town. The northern Platja de la Mar Menuda in a 180 meters long bay is coarse - pebbly and is bounded by rocks. Due to its legend, San Ramón de Penyafort this beach, which is also a paradise for divers, known throughout Spain. The town beach - Platja Gran, 400 meters long and 50 meters wide - is also coarse sandy, but very popular to land because of its proximity to the old town and fortress and numerous cafes and restaurants along the promenade to the tourist harbor, where several times a day excursion boats. A small wind- protected beach South of the Castle (90 m, Platja del Codolar ) is quietly located below the historic city center. Moreover, there is in the municipal area of Tossa de Mar eleven other beaches and coves.

The tourist infrastructure is dominated by small and medium sized hotels, pensions, apartments and campsites. Most dining establishments are located on the promenade, but some live in the steep streets of the old town and within the town walls.

Excursions with glass-bottom boats and ship excursions along the rugged coast of north-east to Sant Feliu de Guixols and continue to Palamos or southwest to Blanes are on offer.

In Tossa de Mar, a 13 km long scenic route begins north-east to Sant Feliu de Guixols through a rugged rocky landscape surrounded by oaks and pine forests high above small sandy coves with Holiday apartment villages and campsites. The road runs tight hairpin bends along the cliff edge; several parking bays offer viewpoints ( miradores ) to the bizarre landscape that Ferran AGULLO had alleged in mind when he in 1908 the 220 ​​km long Mediterranean coast between the French border and Barcelona gave its name to Costa Brava.

Attractions

Tossa de Mar is divided into an old city ( Vila Vella ), and a "New Town" ( Vila Nova ), but also includes historical streets and buildings. The difference is that the old town located historical monument lies within the medieval town wall and towers and the new town outside.

In addition to the Old Town a variety of other buildings are national monuments. See the list of cultural monuments in Tossa de Mar.

Vila Vella

• The city wall with towers 7 emerged in the 12th and beginning of the 13th century; their final, today mainly visible form, she participated in the late 14th century. Of the 7 towers are built in three cylindrical shape and still bear their original names: Torre des Codolar, Torre de ses Hores ( clock tower ) and Torre d'en joanas on a promontory on the sea. The four other towers are larger.
• From the dismantled in the 16th century pirate fortress on the hill still stands a watchtower ( Can Magi ).
• From the Gothic church ruins in the fort are apse, get remnants of the nave and the right transept.
• In the narrow streets that lead via steep staircases through the Villa Vela upward, about 80 houses are still inhabited. In it are also some restaurants.
• The former governor's palace on the south side of the Old Town is used as Museu Municipal since 1935. In addition to archaeological finds from the Neolithic and from the Roman settlement precursors are pictures of the artists who discovered the place after 1900 as a motif, presented; next to Marc Chagall were here also, inter alia, Olga Sakharov and Oskar reins at work.

Vila Nova

The streets of the city are selling the tourist center with a variety of dining options and small retail shops, souvenirs and regional products.

• At the Plaça d' Espanya Maria auxiliary Chapel ( Capella de la Verge dels Socors ) is from the 16th century. It contains buildings of an earlier building, but has been remodeled several times.
• The baroque church of Sant Vicenç (1755 started ) replaced an older precursor.
• The poor - Hospital Sant Miquel was built in 1733 by Tomás Vidal i Rey. The two- winged structure with courtyard has a chapel with a baroque altar.
• On the western edge of the town is the archaeological site of the Roman settlement.

Outside the city

In the Ermita de Sant Grau according to tradition, moved the local Gerbert d' Aurillac saint, founder of the destroyed by the Huguenots Benedictine Abbey of Aurillac, who was temporarily in the 9th century in Catalonia. The Hermitage is 360 meters high in the mountains away from the panoramic road towards Sant Feliu de Guixols. The original structure is replaced by a neo-gothic from 1882. The panorama extends far beyond the rocky coastal mountains and the sea.

Festivals

• January 20 to 21: El Pelegrí de Tossa (, The Pilgrim of Tossa ') is a festival that the plague which raged in the city in the 15th century, declining.
• May 1: Feast of the Holy Cross.
• First Sunday in June: Dia del Pescador (, day of fishing ' ), hard on the beach.
• June 29: feast of Saints Peter with sardanas, concerts, fireworks, show of crafts
• Last Sunday in August: Concurs de pintura Rapid (, quick - time Competition ').
• There is an annual meeting air-cooled Volkswagen on the last weekend of September. During this event, several streets are temporarily blocked from the city. The meeting is the largest in Spain and takes place in Tossa de Mar for 12 years. 2005 said the organizers of over 200 participating vehicles.
• October 13: Gerbert d' Aurillac name day of.