Verdú

Verdú
Municipality
Plaça Major in Verdú
Coat of arms
Verdú Location in Catalonia
Coordinates: 41°36′36″N 1°08′38″E / 41.61°N 1.144°ECoordinates: 41°36′36″N 1°08′38″E / 41.61°N 1.144°E
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Catalonia
Province	Lleida
Comarca	Urgell
Government
• Mayor	Josep Mas Carpi (2015)[1]
Area[2]
• Total	35.8 km^2 (13.8 sq mi)
Population (2014)[1]
• Total	964
• Density	27/km^2 (70/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Website	verdu.cat

Verdú is a village and municipality in the province of Lleida, in Catalonia, Spain. It is traditionally associated with the Segarra region, but in 1936 was transferred to the comarca of Urgell.^[3]

The municipality covers 36 km². The landscape consists of rolling hills with valleys and plains cultivated with grain, vineyards, and olive and almond trees. Small forests of pine and oak are scattered throughout the area. The Segarra-Garrigues canal and the Montblanc-Tàrrega highway both bisect the municipality, passing to the west of the town.

Today Verdú is known for wine, pottery, its historic buildings such as its Castle and the Church of Santa Maria, its notable native St. Peter Claver, and recently its toy museum.

History

Verdú in 1916

The town is mentioned in a document from 1273. It is believed the name is derived from a Celtic name like Virodunum, meaning a fortress.^[3] It was subject to the Poblet monastery until 1835. The population of the municipality reached a peak of 2185 in 1887, but has since declined to 1002 in 2013.^[4]

The history of Verdú is marked by its membership the Poblet monastery for six centuries (from 1227 until 1835). The population before the flood of 1184, was located Cercavins the river valley, beside a fountain and around the church of Santa Magdalena. After the flood that devastated three quarters of the old town, the lady and owner of Verdu, Berengaria of Cervera, made the villagers agree to move their houses above the floodplain, around the castle which had begun to be built a century before. In return, the villagers got walls and portals built surrounding the new town. Berengaria's son, Guillem of Cervera, sold the villa in Poblet. Under the auspices of the monastery, Verdú enjoyed many privileges and advantages, which made it succeed more than the surrounding cities, for many centuries. Evidence of this prosperity include the Castle, the Parish Church, and the whole streets and stately homes.

Economy

The economy of Verdú municipality is dominated by the town's pottery industry, and agriculture.^[3]

Its pottery industry traditionally produces water-jars known as càntirs, made from black clay. The industry goes back to Roman times, and has been documented since the 13th century. It is celebrated annually in the Firacàntir festival, on the last weekend of April.

Its agriculture consists mainly of non-irrigated cultivation of grains (barley and wheat), grapes, almonds and olives. A local agricultural cooperative produces olive oil and sends grapes to wineries for cava (Spanish wine).

Raising of pigs, cattle, sheep and rabbits is also widely practiced, and the town is an important centre for livestock fairs.

Architecture

Verdu Castle is a monumental piece of architecture. Its crowned of cylindrical tower 25 meter tall and 25 meter diameter, constructed in 1080. Two rooms are from romance style of the eleventh century and is the only Catalan Gothic castle that preserves a three large naves superimposed on each other. The third gothic room is Copons Abbot, who recently restored is a jewel of Catalan civil gothic. Around the courtyard there is a gallery with a Renaissance stone steps along the tower. Downstairs basement-involved commissioned by the Cooperative of Verdun, the architect Cesar Martinell, a pupil of Antoni Gaudí. Leaving sample of modernist architecture.

The church of Santa Maria. The present church can be dated to the late thirteenth century, the austerity of the Cistercian Order of the self. Consisted of a single nave, but the population growth led to the gradual enlargement. The image that presides over the altar stone is the fifteenth century and was made by Andreu Pi. This also led out the door of the sacristy. The work of the altarpiece made the painter Jaume Ferrer, one of the most famous painters in Lleida at this time. Today we see the altar in the Episcopal Museum of Vic. The church in accordance with the needs of the population was expanded, becomes a church with three naves, the central covered with a slightly pointed barrel vault and the two sides vault, giving testimony rating period in which they performed. In a subsequent period is the size of the Purisima, Baroque, performed by Agusti Pujol in 1623, had already made other, especially in Barcelona. Highlights also the apse of the right aisle of the church dedicated to Sant Flavia. The Civil War did the altarpiece disappear. On the left is the tombstone consecration of the church, made in 1586 by the archbishop of Tarragona Joan Terès i Borrull, son of the town. Highlights also the image of St. Christ, the image most valuable and most revered in Verdú. Dated between the late thirteenth and early fourteenth century, the population of Verdu implores time droughts and epidemics. You must also make mention of the actual paintings that decorate the altar, the painter Jaume Minguell, made the years 1955-1956. The latest work of beautification that has taken place in the church has been the placement of windows in the summer of 2004, dedicated to Sant Flavia, St. Peter Claver and St. Hippolytus. The rose window is intended as a tribute to the town of Verdu.

References

1. "Ajuntament de Verdú". Generalitat of Catalonia. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
2. "El municipi en xifres: Verdú". Statistical Institute of Catalonia. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
3. "Verdú" (in Catalan). Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
4. "The municipality in figures: Verdú". Statistical Institute of Catalonia. Retrieved 2014-04-16.

External links

• Official website
• Information from Generalitat of Catalonia