El Port de la Selva
Encyclopedia
El Port de la Selva is a municipality
in the comarca
of the Alt Empordà
in Catalonia
, Spain
. It is situated on the northern coast of the Cap de Creus
and is an important fishing
port and tourist centre. The romanesque
abbey
of Sant Pere de Rodes
is particularly notable.
overturned segments of the Catalan Statute of Autonomy that pertained to the Catalan language
and Catalonia's national patrimony, a judicial sentence that infuriated the Catalan body politic and the citizenry alike. Considering the court's decision a "humiliating sentence," the municipal government of El Port de la Selva gathered and voted unanimously to rebuke it, declaring the tiny fishing village "morally excluded from the reach of the Spanish Constitution" and therefore implying a de facto political independence from Spain.
While the Catalan parliament
did not expressly endorse this declaration, it has received widespread support by municipal governments in Catalonia. Every mayor and city councilor pertaining to Port de la Selva Mayor Genís Pinart's political party--Convergence and Union -- have officially endorsed his declaration, as well as three other municipalities; two led by the Republican Left of Catalonia and one by the Socialists' Party of Catalonia
.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the comarca
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...
of the Alt Empordà
Alt Empordà
Alt Empordà is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain, one of two into which Empordà was divided by the comarcal division of Catalonia in 1936.- Municipalities :Populations are as of 2001.*Agullana - pop. 668*Albanyà - pop. 99*L'Armentera - pop. 742...
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...
. It is situated on the northern coast of the Cap de Creus
Cap de Creus
Cap de Creus is a peninsula and a headland located at the far NE of Catalonia, some 25 km south from the French border. The nearest town is Figueres, capital of the Alt Empordà and birthplace of Salvador Dalí...
and is an important fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
port and tourist centre. The romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
of Sant Pere de Rodes
Sant Pere de Rodes
Sant Pere de Rodes is a former Benedictine monastery in the comarca of Alt Empordà, in the North East of Catalonia, Spain.-Location:It is in the municipal area of El Port de la Selva in the province of Girona, Spain. It has been constructed in the side of the Verdera mountain below the ruins of...
is particularly notable.
Declaration of "Independence"
On June 28th, 2010, the Spanish Supreme CourtConstitutional Court of Spain
thumb|300px|The [[Domenico Scarlatti]] Building located in [[Madrid]], seat of the Constitutional Court of Justice of Spain.The Constitutional Court of Spain is the highest judicial body with the power to determine the constitutionality of acts and statutes of the Spanish Government. It is...
overturned segments of the Catalan Statute of Autonomy that pertained to the Catalan language
Catalan language
Catalan 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 Catalonia's national patrimony, a judicial sentence that infuriated the Catalan body politic and the citizenry alike. Considering the court's decision a "humiliating sentence," the municipal government of El Port de la Selva gathered and voted unanimously to rebuke it, declaring the tiny fishing village "morally excluded from the reach of the Spanish Constitution" and therefore implying a de facto political independence from Spain.
While the Catalan parliament
Parliament of Catalonia
The Parliament of Catalonia is the unicameral legislature of Catalonia. It is formed by 135 members , who are elected every four years in ordinary period, or extraordinarily upon dissolution and call of elections by the President of Catalonia, by universal suffrage in proportional lists with four...
did not expressly endorse this declaration, it has received widespread support by municipal governments in Catalonia. Every mayor and city councilor pertaining to Port de la Selva Mayor Genís Pinart's political party--Convergence and Union -- have officially endorsed his declaration, as well as three other municipalities; two led by the Republican Left of Catalonia and one by the 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...
.
Demography
External links
- Official website
- Information - Generalitat de Catalunya
- Statistical information - Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya
- Article in the Spanish language about El Port de la Selva's declaration of "independence," including a video of Mayor Genís Pinart's official statement," given in the Catalan language