Artés
Encyclopedia
Artés is a town in Bages
comarca (county)
, in Catalonia
.
, at the eastern edge of the plain zone of Bages
-commonly known as Pla de Bages
. The town is in the basin of the Gavarresa river and of its affluent, the stream of Malrubí.
It is bordered on the North by the towns of Sallent
and Avinyó
, in the South by Calders
and it shares a small border in the West with Navarcles
, on the limit of the Llobregat
river.
The town is near the Artés Formation, a unique geological formation that owes its name to its proximity with the town.
word Artium , which means "fortified hill". This is based on the evidence of the existence of a 6th century fortified church on the top of the hill of Artés, where the first settlers began to expand the village into the valley.
Little evidence of the Prehistory
of Artés has been discovered to date. However, a document from the year 938 indicates the presence of three dolmens; and abundant samples of Iberian
pottery have been found in the valley of Salabernada.
The archeological remains of the Classical
Period are numerous and confirm the existence of continuous settlement for seven centuries. In particular, archeological finds have been made at Matacans, where there used to be a Roman
villa, and at the Plaça Vella (Old Square) where three Roman inscriptions of the 2nd and 3rd centuries, one necropolis
and an ancient Paleochristian Church -that can be dated between 6th and 7th centuries- were found.
The name of Artés is one of the first documented names of all the towns in Bages
. Specifically, a grant dated on the 24th June 889, by which the King Odó
gave to the Church of Sant Pere de Vic several goods and rights; among them de Valley of Artés.
On the other hand Artés is well known for its production of wine
and cava. In 1996, together with other towns of the surrounding area, Artés achieved the Denomination of Origin Pla de Bages for its wines and, at the same time, it celebrated the tenth birthday of the denomination of the Cava of Artés.
Bages
Bages is a comarca in the center of Catalonia, Spain. It includes two subcomarques, el Moianès and el Lluçanès.Industries include the mining of potash at Súria and Sallent, and the manufacture of textiles along the rivers Llobregat and Cardener...
comarca (county)
Comarques of Catalonia
This is a list of the comarques of Catalonia . A comarca is roughly equivalent to a US "county" or a UK "district". However, in the context of Catalonia, the term "county" can be a bit misleading, because in medieval Catalonia, the most important rulers were counts, notably the Counts of Barcelona...
, in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
.
Location
The town of Artés is located at the center of CataloniaCatalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, at the eastern edge of the plain zone of Bages
Bages
Bages is a comarca in the center of Catalonia, Spain. It includes two subcomarques, el Moianès and el Lluçanès.Industries include the mining of potash at Súria and Sallent, and the manufacture of textiles along the rivers Llobregat and Cardener...
-commonly known as Pla de Bages
Pla de Bages
Pla de Bages is a Spanish Denominación de Origen for wines, located in the province of Barcelona , and is one of the smallest DOs in Spain, covering only 600 hectares...
. The town is in the basin of the Gavarresa river and of its affluent, the stream of Malrubí.
It is bordered on the North by the towns of Sallent
Sallent de Llobregat
Sallent de Llobregat , or simply Sallent, is a municipality in the comarca of Bages, Province of Barcelona, in the Autonomous Community of Catalonia, Spain. The river Llobregat divides the municipality into two halves. Its main resources are mining and industry. It was the birthplace of Saint...
and Avinyó
Avinyó
Avinyó is a Catalonian municipality in Spain. It is located in the province of Barcelona and in the comarca of Bages. Its current mayor is Eudald Vilaseca Font and its population in 2002 was estimated at 2,000 residents....
, in the South by Calders
Calders
Calders is a municipality in the comarca of the Bagesin Catalonia, Spain.-External links:* * *...
and it shares a small border in the West with Navarcles
Navarcles
Navarcles is a village in the province of Barcelona and autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain.-References:...
, on the limit of the Llobregat
Llobregat
The Llobregat is the second longest river in Catalonia, Spain. It originates in Castellar de n'Hug at an altitude of 1,259 meters in the Serra del Cadí, and ends in the Mediterranean Sea, in the municipality of El Prat de Llobregat, near Barcelona...
river.
The town is near the Artés Formation, a unique geological formation that owes its name to its proximity with the town.
History
The name of Artés is believed to derive from the LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word Artium , which means "fortified hill". This is based on the evidence of the existence of a 6th century fortified church on the top of the hill of Artés, where the first settlers began to expand the village into the valley.
Little evidence of the Prehistory
Prehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
of Artés has been discovered to date. However, a document from the year 938 indicates the presence of three dolmens; and abundant samples of Iberian
Iberians
The Iberians were a set of peoples that Greek and Roman sources identified with that name in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian peninsula at least from the 6th century BC...
pottery have been found in the valley of Salabernada.
The archeological remains of the Classical
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
Period are numerous and confirm the existence of continuous settlement for seven centuries. In particular, archeological finds have been made at Matacans, where there used to be a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
villa, and at the Plaça Vella (Old Square) where three Roman inscriptions of the 2nd and 3rd centuries, one necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
and an ancient Paleochristian Church -that can be dated between 6th and 7th centuries- were found.
The name of Artés is one of the first documented names of all the towns in Bages
Bages
Bages is a comarca in the center of Catalonia, Spain. It includes two subcomarques, el Moianès and el Lluçanès.Industries include the mining of potash at Súria and Sallent, and the manufacture of textiles along the rivers Llobregat and Cardener...
. Specifically, a grant dated on the 24th June 889, by which the King Odó
Odo
Odo , played by René Auberjonois, is a major character on the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is a member of a fictional shapeshifting race called Changelings and serves as the head of security for the space station Deep Space Nine on which the show is...
gave to the Church of Sant Pere de Vic several goods and rights; among them de Valley of Artés.
Economy
At present, the most important activity of the town is industry, which counts on some important multinational companies established in the town. In 1973 the Industrial Zone of Santa Maria d'Artés was opened and in 1991 an important enlargement of it was made, even though it is now reaching its limit of usable ground.On the other hand Artés is well known for its production of wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
and cava. In 1996, together with other towns of the surrounding area, Artés achieved the Denomination of Origin Pla de Bages for its wines and, at the same time, it celebrated the tenth birthday of the denomination of the Cava of Artés.