Piera

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Piera
Municipality
City hall

Coat of arms
Piera
Location in Catalonia
Coordinates: 41°31′20″N 1°44′58″E / 41.52222°N 1.74944°E / 41.52222; 1.74944Coordinates: 41°31′20″N 1°44′58″E / 41.52222°N 1.74944°E / 41.52222; 1.74944
Country  Spain
Community  Catalonia
Province Barcelona
Comarca Anoia
Government
 • Mayor Jaume Guixà i Soteras
Area
 • Total 57.11 km2 (22.05 sq mi)
Elevation 324 m (1,063 ft)
Population (2007)
 • Total 13,652
 • Density 240/km2 (620/sq mi)
Demonym Pierenc, pierenca
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)

Piera is a municipality covers a large portion of the southeastern corner of the comarca of Anoia in Catalonia, Spain, on the left bank of the Anoia river. The agricultural land, mostly non-irrigated, is used for the cultivation of cereals, grapes, olives and almonds. The town itself hosts a number of light industries: textiles, plastics and construction materials. Tourism during the summer months is also relatively important for the local economy.

The FGC railway line R6 from Martorell and Barcelona to Igualada runs through the town, while local roads lead to Capellades and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia.

Notable monuments include the castle of Fontanet. The castle which was restored in 1916 by Ramon de Viala d'Aiguavives, Baron of Almenar is documented in 955 a.c. and now used for private functions.

The sister of the Baron of Almenar, Isabel de Viala d'Aiguavives also financed and patroned the modernist church of Ca n'Aguilera which was donated to Barcelona's Bishop by Zaragoza de Viala family on 1921. The architect of Ca N'Aguilera modernist church is Francesc Berenguer i Mestres, who was Antoni Gaudi's disciple and personal friend.

Another Piera relevant monument is the church of Santa Maria, with both gothic and roman elements

Subdivisions

The municipality of Piera includes several outlying villages (barris): these are usually distinguished into the older, traditional settlements (barris antics) and the newer urbanisations which have been developed to cope with the expansion of the municipality (barris nous). Populations are given for 1999, from the Ajuntament de Piera and cited in Història de Piera: the town of Piera (nucli urbà) had a population of 5036 at that date, whereas the total population of the municipality was 8551.

Traditional barris

  • El Bedorc (237), on the Anoia river
  • Ca n'Aguilera (161)
  • Can Cairot (28)
  • Can Creixell (2)
  • La Fortesa (57), on the Anoia river at the southern point of the municipality
  • Sant Jaume Sesoliveres (213)

Newer barris

  • Bosc de l'Àliga (88)
  • Can Bonastre (490)
  • Can Bou (93)
  • Can Canals (602)
  • Can Claramunt (494)
  • Can Martí (222)
  • Can Mas (427)
  • Can Mata (166)
  • Castell de la Ventosa (51)
  • La Grua (20)
  • Vallbonica (26), on the road to Vallbona d'Anoia
  • La Venta i Can Musarro (138)

Demography

1900 1930 1950 1970 1986 2007
2663 3474 3334 3813 5215 13,652

References

  • Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria (1989). "Guia de Catalunya", Barcelona:Caixa de Catalunya. (Spanish) ISBN 84-87135-01-3. (Catalan) ISBN 84-87135-02-1.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Piera.
Autoritat del Transport Metropolità
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya
Line R6
Barcelona
(Plaça d'Espanya) 		↔ Piera ↔ Igualada
Municipalities of Anoia
Municipalities in the province of Barcelona
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