Castelldefels
Encyclopedia
Castelldefels is a town in the Baix Llobregat
comarca
, in the province of Barcelona
, in Catalonia
, Spain
and part of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. Its population is 63.151 (INE
2011).
, just to the north of the massís del Garraf and is the last town on the coast before the comarca of Garraf
. The town is famous for its long beach (more than 5 km), for being the place of residence of many famous sportmen and for being the city which inspired the creation of the character "El Neng de Castefa" who used to appear on the late night show called "BFN" hosted by the showman and presenter Andreu Buenafuente
. During the summer, many people from Barcelona and the countryside visit it. Nearby towns include Gavà
, Viladecans
, Sant Boi de Llobregat
, Sitges
and el Prat de Llobregat
. Castelldefels borders the coast of the Mediterranean Sea
between Sitges
and Gavà
.
The Olympic canal, called Canal Olímpic de Catalunya, built for the 1992 Summer Olympic Games of Barcelona
is in the town.
(PSC). The first democratic mayor after Constitution was Agustín Marina Pérez. In 2011, the conservative People's Party
(PP) won a plurality of seats for the first time, and Manuel Reyes of the PP was elected mayor of the town.
†results for the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia
*results for the People's Alliance
Source:
provides higher education in aeronautics and telecommunications technology. The town is also the location of the British School of Barcelona
.
There are ten public primary school and three public secondary school.
, football player; Alexis Sánchez
, football player;Juan Antonio Flecha
, cyclist; Lorenzo Quinn
, sculptor; Calixto Bieito
, theatre director.
and Platja de Castelldefels
) on RENFE
line R2 from Sant Vicenç de Calders to Maçanet-Massanes via Barcelona
, bus routes to Barcelona (L94, L95, L97), Barcelona Airport (L99) and Sant Boi de Llobregat
(L96), as well as an urban bus route connecting the rest of the town (CF1), the C-32 motorway and the C-31 and C-245 dual carriageways. A second railway line is due to be constructed from Cornellà de Llobregat
to Castelldefels.
, while on their way to a summer solstice bonfire party.
Baix Llobregat
Baix Llobregat is a comarca on the coast of Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Sant Feliu de Llobregat.-Municipalities:Populations are from 2002.* Abrera - pop. 9,166* Begues - pop. 5,023* Castelldefels - pop. 52,405...
comarca
Comarca
A comarca is a traditional region or local administrative division found in parts of Spain, Portugal, Panama, Nicaragua, and Brazil. The term is derived from the term marca, meaning a "march, mark", plus the prefix co- meaning "together, jointly".The comarca is known in Aragonese as redolada and...
, in the province of Barcelona
Barcelona (province)
Barcelona is a province of eastern Spain, in the center of the autonomous community of Catalonia.-Overview:It is bordered by the provinces of Tarragona, Lleida, and Girona, and by the Mediterranean Sea....
, 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...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and part of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. Its population is 63.151 (INE
Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)
The National Institute of Statistics is the official organisation in Spain that collects statistics about demography, economy, and Spanish society. Every 10 years, this organisation conducts a national census. The last census took place in 2001....
2011).
Geography and location
It is located about 20 km (12.4 mi) southwest of BarcelonaBarcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, just to the north of the massís del Garraf and is the last town on the coast before the comarca of Garraf
Garraf
Garraf is a comarca in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, northern Spain.It is named after the Garraf Massif.-Municipalities:*Canyelles - pop. 3,127*Cubelles - pop. 10,617*Olivella - pop. 2,179*Sant Pere de Ribes - pop. 26,108...
. The town is famous for its long beach (more than 5 km), for being the place of residence of many famous sportmen and for being the city which inspired the creation of the character "El Neng de Castefa" who used to appear on the late night show called "BFN" hosted by the showman and presenter Andreu Buenafuente
Andreu Buenafuente
Andreu Buenafuente is a Spanish late night show host and founder of the group El Terrat. He has worked in TV3, Antena 3 and La Sexta...
. During the summer, many people from Barcelona and the countryside visit it. Nearby towns include Gavà
Gavà
Gavà is a municipality in Barcelona Province , bordering the coast of the Mediterranean Sea between Viladecans and Castelldefels; not to get confused with the village of Gava in the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary.Gavà has a beach and two...
, Viladecans
Viladecans
Viladecans is a large town very close to Barcelona, Spain. It is located between Sant Boi de Llobregat, Sant Climent de Llobregat, and bordering the coast of the Mediterranean Sea between El Prat de Llobregat and Gavà....
, Sant Boi de Llobregat
Sant Boi de Llobregat
Sant Boi de Llobregat is a town of 80,000 inhabitants in the Barcelona province in Catalonia, located aside the Llobregat river.The town distributes its territory into six districts: Ciutat Cooperativa-Molí Nou, Marianao-Can Paulet, Barri Centre, Vinyets-Molí Vell, Camps Blancs-Canons-Orioles and...
, Sitges
Sitges
*Church of Sant Bartolomeu i Santa Tecla . It houses two Gothic sepulchres , belonging to the an older church located on the same site...
and el Prat de Llobregat
El Prat de Llobregat
El Prat de Llobregat , commonly known as El Prat, is a municipality in the comarca of Baix Llobregat inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated in the delta of the Llobregat river on the right bank, bordering the coast of the Mediterranean Sea between Barcelona and Viladecans. More than a quarter of the...
. Castelldefels borders the coast of the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
between Sitges
Sitges
*Church of Sant Bartolomeu i Santa Tecla . It houses two Gothic sepulchres , belonging to the an older church located on the same site...
and Gavà
Gavà
Gavà is a municipality in Barcelona Province , bordering the coast of the Mediterranean Sea between Viladecans and Castelldefels; not to get confused with the village of Gava in the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary.Gavà has a beach and two...
.
The Olympic canal, called Canal Olímpic de Catalunya, built for the 1992 Summer Olympic Games of Barcelona
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
is in the town.
Governance
Between 1979 and 2011, the town was governed by the Socialists' Party of CataloniaSocialists' Party of Catalonia
The Socialists' Party of Catalonia is a social-democratic political party in Catalonia, Spain resulting from the merge of two parties PSC Reagrupament led by Josep Pallach i Carolà and PSC Comgres. It is the Catalan referent of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party , and its Aranese section is...
(PSC). The first democratic mayor after Constitution was Agustín Marina Pérez. In 2011, the conservative People's Party
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
(PP) won a plurality of seats for the first time, and Manuel Reyes of the PP was elected mayor of the town.
Summary of council election results
| 1979 | 1983 | 1987 | 1991 | 1995 | 1999 | 2003 | 2007 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socialists' Party of Catalonia Socialists' Party of Catalonia The Socialists' Party of Catalonia is a social-democratic political party in Catalonia, Spain resulting from the merge of two parties PSC Reagrupament led by Josep Pallach i Carolà and PSC Comgres. It is the Catalan referent of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party , and its Aranese section is... (PSC) |
8 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 |
| Initiative for Catalonia Greens Initiative for Catalonia Greens Initiative for Catalonia Greens is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. It was formed as a merger of Iniciativa per Catalunya and Els Verds. IC had been an alliance led by Partit Socialista Unificat de Catalunya and was the equivalent of Izquierda Unida in Catalonia... (IU) |
5† | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | ||
| United and Alternative Left United and Alternative Left United and Alternative Left is a political party from Catalonia, Spain. EUiA has 4000 members and it is the Catalan correspondent of the Spain-wide United Left .... (IU) |
1 | ||||||||
| Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) | 4 | ||||||||
| Independents/Residents groups | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Convergence and Union (CiU) | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| People's Party People's Party (Spain) The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship... (PP) |
2* | 1* | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | |
| Party of the Communists of Catalonia Party of the Communists of Catalonia Party of the Communists of Catalonia is a political party in Catalonia. PCC was formed in April 1982 by the pro-Soviet fraction of the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia . The formation of PCC was the peak of a long and intense struggle within PSUC between the pro-Soviet and Eurocommunist... (PCC) |
1 | 1 | |||||||
| Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) | 1 | ||||||||
| Citizens – Party of the Citizenry Citizens – Party of the Citizenry The Citizens – Party of the Citizenry is a Spanish political party which describes itself as centre-left and non-nationalist... (Cs) |
1 | ||||||||
| Total number of seats | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 25 | 25 |
†results for the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia
Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia
The Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia , was formed on July 23, 1936 through the unification of four left-wing groups; the Catalan Federation of Spanish Socialist Workers' Party , the Partit Comunista de Catalunya , the Unió Socialista de Catalunya and the...
*results for the People's Alliance
Source:
Education
Castelldefels School of TechnologyCastelldefels School of Technology
The Castelldefels School of Technology is a higher educational establishment on Baix Llobregat Campus in Castelldefels, Catalonia, Spain. It is part of the Technical University of Catalonia and offers courses in aeronautics and telecomunications....
provides higher education in aeronautics and telecommunications technology. The town is also the location of the British School of Barcelona
British School of Barcelona
The British School of Barcelona is a private profit-making coeducational bilingual international school located in Castelldefels near Barcelona, Spain.-History:...
.
There are ten public primary school and three public secondary school.
Famous people
Lionel MessiLionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
, football player; Alexis Sánchez
Alexis Sánchez
Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez , is a Chilean footballer who plays as a forward for FC Barcelona and for the Chilean national team. He is well known for his excellent dribbling ability, great speed and his unusual strength for a fast winger....
, football player;Juan Antonio Flecha
Juan Antonio Flecha
Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni is an Argentine-born Spanish professional road bicycle racer for the UCI ProTour team .-Career:...
, cyclist; Lorenzo Quinn
Lorenzo Quinn
Lorenzo Quinn is an Italian sculptor and former actor, and the fifth son of actor Anthony Quinn.-Biography:Quinn was born in Rome, Italy and is the son of the Mexican American actor Anthony Quinn and Iolanda Quinn . Quinn was raised in both the United States and Italy and presently lives in...
, sculptor; Calixto Bieito
Calixto Bieito
Calixto Bieito is a Spanish theater director known for his "radical" interpretations of classic operas.-Biography:...
, theatre director.
Transport
Transport links include two stations (CastelldefelsCastelldefels railway station
Castelldefels railway station serves Castelldefels, in the comarca of Baix Llobregat, in Catalonia, Spain. It is served by RENFE Rodalies Barcelona line R2....
and Platja de Castelldefels
Platja de Castelldefels railway station
Platja de Castelldefels railway station is a small stop on the Rodalies Barcelona R2 line serving the beach district of Castelldefels , approximately 17 minutes by train from Barcelona Sants Station...
) on RENFE
RENFE
Renfe Operadora is the state-owned company which operates freight and passenger trains on the 1668-mm "Iberian gauge" and 1435-mm "European gauge" networks of the Spanish national railway infrastructure company ADIF .- History :The name RENFE is derived from that of the former Spanish National...
line R2 from Sant Vicenç de Calders to Maçanet-Massanes via Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, bus routes to Barcelona (L94, L95, L97), Barcelona Airport (L99) and Sant Boi de Llobregat
Sant Boi de Llobregat
Sant Boi de Llobregat is a town of 80,000 inhabitants in the Barcelona province in Catalonia, located aside the Llobregat river.The town distributes its territory into six districts: Ciutat Cooperativa-Molí Nou, Marianao-Can Paulet, Barri Centre, Vinyets-Molí Vell, Camps Blancs-Canons-Orioles and...
(L96), as well as an urban bus route connecting the rest of the town (CF1), the C-32 motorway and the C-31 and C-245 dual carriageways. A second railway line is due to be constructed from Cornellà de Llobregat
Cornellà de Llobregat
Cornellà de Llobregat is a municipality in the comarca of the Baix Llobregat inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated on the left bank of the Llobregat river.- History :...
to Castelldefels.
2010 Accident
On 23 June 2010, 12 young people were killed, and 14 injured, when they were hit by an express train as they crossed the tracks in the railway station at Platja de CastelldefelsPlatja de Castelldefels railway station
Platja de Castelldefels railway station is a small stop on the Rodalies Barcelona R2 line serving the beach district of Castelldefels , approximately 17 minutes by train from Barcelona Sants Station...
, while on their way to a summer solstice bonfire party.
Demography
| 1900 | 1930 | 1950 | 1970 | 1986 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 289 | 797 | 2039 | 13,219 | 27,932 | 56,718 |
External links
- Official site (in CatalanCatalan languageCatalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
and SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
) - Informative website since 1996 (in CatalanCatalan languageCatalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
and SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
English and French) - Webcam de la playa de Castelldefels
- Unofficial town website of business companies
- Artistic and historical buildings in Castelldefels (in CatalanCatalan languageCatalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
) - Castelldefels Asteroid
- Sitges and surrounding areas (in English)