El Molar, Priorat
Encyclopedia
El Molar is a municipality in the comarca
of Priorat
, Tarragona Province, Catalonia
, Spain
.
Most of the local economy is based on vineyard
s, as well as almond
and olive tree
plantations.
The present village dates from the 13th century, after the area had been reconquered from the saracen
s. During medieval times the town was part of the Barony of Entença. According to a 1156 document by which Ramon Berenguer IV ceded the territory to the Poblet Monastery
, El Molar was linked to neighboring Garcia
town. This situation ended in the 19th century.
El Molar was bombed by Condor Legion
planes during the Spanish Civil War
. An abandoned galena
mine nearby was used as a field hospital
during the Battle of the Ebro
.
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...
of Priorat
Priorat
Priorat is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. The central part of the comarca, "Priorat històric," produces the famous and prestigious wine of the Denominación de Origen Calificada Priorat. Wines from elsewhere in the comarca are denominated as Montsant...
, Tarragona Province, 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...
.
Most of the local economy is based on vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s, as well as almond
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
and olive tree
Olive Tree
The Olive Tree was a denomination used for several successive centre-left Italian political coalitions from 1995 to 2007.The historical leader and ideologue of these coalitions was Romano Prodi, Professor of Economics and former leftist Christian Democrat, who invented the name and the symbol of...
plantations.
History
There are remainders of two ancient villages, the oldest from the 6th or 7th century, within the El Molar municipal term.The present village dates from the 13th century, after the area had been reconquered from the saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
s. During medieval times the town was part of the Barony of Entença. According to a 1156 document by which Ramon Berenguer IV ceded the territory to the Poblet Monastery
Poblet Monastery
The Royal Abbey of Santa Maria de Poblet is a Cistercian monastery, founded in 1151, located at the feet of the Prades Mountains, in the comarca of Conca de Barberà, in Catalonia . It was founded by Cistercian monks from France on lands conquered from the Moors...
, El Molar was linked to neighboring Garcia
Garcia, Tarragona
Garcia is a municipality in the Catalan comarca of Ribera d'Ebre, whose territory extends over both sides of the Ebre river.-History and archaeology:Garcia has been a site of human occupation at least since ancient Iberian times....
town. This situation ended in the 19th century.
El Molar was bombed by Condor Legion
Condor Legion
The Condor Legion was a unit composed of volunteers from the German Air Force and from the German Army which served with the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legion developed methods of terror bombing which were used widely in the Second World War...
planes during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. An abandoned galena
Galena
Galena is the natural mineral form of lead sulfide. It is the most important lead ore mineral.Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It crystallizes in the cubic crystal system often showing octahedral forms...
mine nearby was used as a field hospital
Field hospital
A field hospital is a large mobile medical unit that temporarily takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent hospital facilities...
during the Battle of the Ebro
Battle of the Ebro
The Battle of the Ebro was the longest and bloodiest battle of the Spanish Civil War...
.