Montblanc, Tarragona
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Montblanc is the capital of the Catalan comarca Conca de Barberà, in the Spanish province of Tarragona
The medieval walled City of Montblanc is situated in the interior of the province of Tarragona, Catalonia. It is the commercial & cultural centre of the district and is visited by tourists who come to see the medieval Wall, (La Muralla de Montblanc) The Cathedral, and the medieval architecture belonging to many of the City's buildings.
[edit] History
The area around Montblanc has been inhabited for thousands of years. Evidence of cave dwellings have been found dating back to Palaeolithic times.
From the 4th to the 1st century BC Iberian villages existed on Santa Bàrbara hill. These villages coexisted with the early Roman settlers. Evidence of Roman artifacts have been found which date from between the 2nd century BC to the 2nd century AD.
After the invasion by the Moors in 711 AD, much of the area became dominated by a patchwork of Islamic fiefdoms. The Islamic invasion initiated a long period of very successful agricultural and commercial development. This was responsible for the birth of many towns and villages in the region which still retain their Islamic names.
The 10th and 11th centuries seem to have been a period of relatively peaceful coexistence in which Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in the region of Montblanc. This productive period continued until an allegiance of forces, strongly supported by the Roman catholic church, initiated an era of violent & destructive expulsion (1492 ~ 1614, which forced the Moors, the Jews and many of the interbred mixed race peoples to leave the Iberian peninsular. After the expulsion, the region was dominated by the Roman Catholic Church during which time the nearby Monastery at Poblet was rebuilt and expanded.
The traditional local medieval fiestas & pageantry, that are still regularly performed in Montblanc, confirm the probable use of Montblanc by the Knights Templar. Such towns offered the Knights a place to stay during their passage across Spain.
[edit] Some facts about Montblanc
- Montblanc was founded by the king Alfons I in February 1163.
- Montblanc is situated 350m height above sea level.
- The highest place within the municipality is ‘ la Mola d’Estat’ 1.126 m.
- The total area of the municipality is 90,24 km²
- The municipality of Montblanc includes the following small villages: la Guàrdia dels Prats, Lilla, Prenafeta, Rojals and el Pinetell, and the hamlets: la Bartra, Rojalons, els Cogullons and la Barceloneta.
- In 2005 Montblanc the official records show Montblanc as having some 6.780 inhabitants
- This record does not include the large numbers of Moroccan workers that live and work in the area under special government licence.
- Montblanc has a market on Tuesdays and Fridays
- The Museu Comarcal de la Conca de Barbera displays local crafts.
| edit | Municipalities of Conca de Barberà |  |
|---|---|---|
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Barberà de la Conca | Blancafort | Conesa | Espluga de Francolí | Forès | Llorac | Montblanc | Passanant | Les Piles | Pira | Pontils | Rocafort de Queralt | Santa Coloma de Queralt | Sarral | Savallà del Comtat | Senan | Solivella | Vallclara | Vallfogona de Riucorb | Vilanova de Prades | Vilaverd | Vimbodí |
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