Terrassa
Encyclopedia
Terrassa is a city in the east central region of Catalonia
, Spain
, in the comarca
of Vallès Occidental
, of which it is the co-capital along with Sabadell
, the historic capital.
The city is located in the Catalan Prelitoral depression (Depressió Prelitoral), at the feet of the Prelitoral mountain range (Natural reserve of Sant Llorenç del Munt) and the average altitude of the city is 277 meters above sea level. It is 28 and 20 kilometres from Barcelona
and Montserrat
respectively.
.
Terrassa originated as the Roman town of Egara (Municipium Flavium Egara), which was founded during the time of the emperor Vespasian
(69-79 BCE) alongside the torrent of Vallparadís (nowadays an urban park) close to the Iberian
town of Egosa, on the site of which some ceramics and coins have been found.
The episcopal see of Ègara already existed by about 450 CE, and a Provincial Council was held there in 615. The cathedral continued to exist until 718, when it was overtaken by the Muslim conquest
. Today the ancient Visigothic-Romanesque
churches of Sant Pere de Terrassa stand on the site. Other important remains from the Middle Ages are the castle of Vallparadis (from 1344 to 1413 a Carthusian
monastery and today a municipal museum) and the tower of the castle-palace of the count-king).
In the 19th century the city played an important role in the industrial revolution, specializing in woollen fabrics, and today there is a major Modernista
legacy as a result of the city's importance at that time. Particularly notable Modernista buildings include the Masia Freixa (1907), the Vapor Aymerich Amat i Jover textile mill (1907) (now the Museum of Science and Technology of Catalonia), the Principal theater (1920), the city hall (1902), the Alegre de Sagrera house/museum (1911), the Industrial School (1904), the Gran Casino (1920), the Parc de Desinfecció (1920), and the Independència market (1908). Terrassa is a partner city of the Art nouveau network
http://www.artnouveau-net.eu, a European network of co-operation created in 1999 for the study, preservation and development of Art Nouveau
.
District 2 - East (1.45 km² – pop. 20,399)
District 3 - South (8.38 km² – pop. 31,809)
District 4 - West (6.26 km² – pop. 37,644. 32 dels quals disseminats)
District 5 - North West (4.27 km² – pop. 44,040. 444 of which disseminated)
District 6 - North East (3.03 km² – pop. 40,088)
, which was founded around 450 CE and remained in existence until the 8th century. This episcopal complex follows the Byzantine model of antiquity, with two churches (Sant Pere and Santa Maria) and a mausoleum
(Sant Miquel). After a long period of construction, the churches were finished in the then-current manner about the 11th and 12th centuries and in Romanesque style, on the site of the pre-Romanesque buildings of the Visigothic period.
The church of Santa Maria contains outstanding works of art, and there are murals dating from the Romanesque period to the Gothic
. There is also an altar stone dating from the 10th century and medieval and Romanesque tombstones (one of which documents the name of the Roman town of Egara). In the transept
there are three Gothic
altarpiece
s.
The municipal government is formed by a coalition between PSC, ICV and ERC. The Mayor is Pere Navarro (PSC).
and airport
by highway
and railway. The C-58 and C-16
also link the city with (Manresa
), (Girona
, France
), and (Tarragona
).
The railway reached Terrassa in 1856, and nowadays two lines serve the city. The first, operated by RENFE
, connects with Barcelona and Lleida
, and the second, operated by FGC
, with Barcelona. FGC is extending its line to the north of the city, building three new stations, one of them will act as a rail hub with the RENFE line. An exact completion time for this project has yet to be determined.
Several interurban bus lines connect Terrassa with the closest cities and towns such as Sabadell
, Castellar del Vallès
, Martorell
, Rubí
, Sant Cugat del Vallès
and Vacarisses
.
Transport inside the city is provided by 14 bus lines operated by a municipal company (Municipals d'Egara). In the future, when the three new FGC stations and the two planned for the RENFE line are in use, the railway will also serve as urban transport.
and korfball
in Catalonia and played an important role in the introduction of basketball
. The most important sport in the city is field hockey. During the Barcelona Olympic Games
in 1992, Terrassa was the city where the field hockey competition was played. The great number of hockey players from Terrassa who have participated in the Olympic Games
over the years has led to Terrassa's being referred to as the “most Olympic city in the world“. Between 1928 and 2004, Terrassa sent 124 athletes to the Olympic Games, the majority of whom were hockey players. Three local field hockey clubs play in the main Spanish league championship:
Atlètic Terrassa and Club Egara have won the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup.
Other local sports teams include Club Natació Terrassa (water polo
), which won the 2006 LEN Trophy); Terrassa FC
(football
), and Sferic Terrassa (basketball
).
Terrassa is the home and birthplace of FC Barcelona
and Spanish
national football team midfielder Xavier Hernández
.
Also the city has several local channels - TV20 Locàlia Vallès and Canal Terrassa, with an audience of more than 50,000 viewers. In addition, there is the free newspaper Terrassa Societat, published monthly with a circulation of 50,000, and Terrassa Month, published of Monday through Friday and also covering local events. Since 2005 the municipal digital newspaper e-newsterrassa.com, in Catalan, has been on line. The municipal Web site www.terrassa.cat receives no fewer than 150,000 monthly visitors.
There's a new media, free magazine called "La Veu de Terrassa and owned by "El Grup la veu."
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...
, 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 Vallès Occidental
Vallès Occidental
Vallès Occidental is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. It is unique among the comarques in that the two cities Sabadell and Terrassa share the role of comarcal capital...
, of which it is the co-capital along with Sabadell
Sabadell
Sabadell is the second largest city in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, Spain. It is in the south of the comarca, on the River Ripoll, 20 km north-west of Barcelona...
, the historic capital.
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...
and Montserrat
Montserrat (mountain)
Montserrat is a multi-peaked mountain located near the city of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. It is part of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range. The main peaks are Sant Jeroni , Montgrós and Miranda de les Agulles...
respectively.
History
The remains that have been found indicate that the area where Terrassa stands has been inhabited since prehistory. In 2005, during the construction of a tunnel for one of the city's railway lines, a prehistoric site was found in the Park of Vallparadíshttp://www.terrassa.cat/vallparadis, with stone tools and fossils of hunted animals dating back 800,000 to 1,000,000 years, making this is one of the oldest prehistoric sites in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Terrassa originated as the Roman town of Egara (Municipium Flavium Egara), which was founded during the time of the emperor Vespasian
Vespasian
Vespasian , was Roman Emperor from 69 AD to 79 AD. Vespasian was the founder of the Flavian dynasty, which ruled the Empire for a quarter century. Vespasian was descended from a family of equestrians, who rose into the senatorial rank under the Emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty...
(69-79 BCE) alongside the torrent of Vallparadís (nowadays an urban park) close to the 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...
town of Egosa, on the site of which some ceramics and coins have been found.
The episcopal see of Ègara already existed by about 450 CE, and a Provincial Council was held there in 615. The cathedral continued to exist until 718, when it was overtaken by the Muslim conquest
Umayyad conquest of Hispania
The Umayyad conquest of Hispania is the initial Islamic Ummayad Caliphate's conquest, between 711 and 718, of the Christian Visigothic Kingdom of Hispania, centered in the Iberian Peninsula, which was known to them under the Arabic name al-Andalus....
. Today the ancient Visigothic-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,...
churches of Sant Pere de Terrassa stand on the site. Other important remains from the Middle Ages are the castle of Vallparadis (from 1344 to 1413 a Carthusian
Carthusian
The Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
monastery and today a municipal museum) and the tower of the castle-palace of the count-king).
In the 19th century the city played an important role in the industrial revolution, specializing in woollen fabrics, and today there is a major Modernista
Modernisme
Modernisme was a cultural movement associated with the search for Catalan national identity. It is often understood as an equivalent to a number of fin-de-siècle art movements, such as Art Nouveau, Jugendstil, Secessionism, and Liberty style, and was active from roughly 1888 to 1911 Modernisme ...
legacy as a result of the city's importance at that time. Particularly notable Modernista buildings include the Masia Freixa (1907), the Vapor Aymerich Amat i Jover textile mill (1907) (now the Museum of Science and Technology of Catalonia), the Principal theater (1920), the city hall (1902), the Alegre de Sagrera house/museum (1911), the Industrial School (1904), the Gran Casino (1920), the Parc de Desinfecció (1920), and the Independència market (1908). Terrassa is a partner city of the Art nouveau network
Réseau Art Nouveau Network
Réseau Art Nouveau Network was established in 1999 by European cities with a rich art nouveau heritage. Enterprise and commitment are the Network's chief hallmarks; as well as championing a rigorously scientific approach, it aims to keep professionals informed and to make the general public aware...
http://www.artnouveau-net.eu, a European network of co-operation created in 1999 for the study, preservation and development of Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
.
Neighborhoods
District 1 - Center (2.25 km² – pop. 33,683)- Plaça de Catalunya – Escola Industrial (0.21 km² – pop. 4,941)
- Cementiri Vell (0.35 km² – pop. 6,403)
- Centre (1.36 km² – pop. 17,304)
- Vallparadís (0.25 km² – pop. 4,470)
- Antic Poble de Sant Pere (0.08 km² – pop. 565)
District 2 - East (1.45 km² – pop. 20,399)
- Montserrat (0.12 km² – pop. 1,939)
- Vilardell (0.04 km² – pop. 876)
- Torre-sana (0.41 km² – pop. 3,529)
- Ca n'Anglada (0.54 km² – pop. 13,967)
- Industrial estates: Sector Montserrat (0.34 km²)
District 3 - South (8.38 km² – pop. 31,809)
- Can Parellada (1.16 km² – pop. 6,090)
- les Fonts (part of this district is within the municipality of Sant Quirze del VallèsSant Quirze del VallèsSant Quirze del Vallès is a town in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental, province of Barcelona, Spain....
) (2.04 km² – pop. 2,167) - Can Jofresa (0.32 km² – pop. 2,107)
- Guadalhorce (0.03 km² – pop. 1,382)
- Can Palet II (0.07 km² – pop. 1,218)
- Xúquer (0.08 km² – pop. 1,277)
- Segle XX (0.73 km² – pop. 5,494)
- Can Palet (0.51 km² – pop. 12,056)
- Industrial estates: Santa Eulàlia (0.22 km²) – els Bellots (0.50 km²) – Santa Margarida (1.26 km²) – Can Parellada (1.24 km²) – Can Guitard (0.22 km²)
District 4 - West (6.26 km² – pop. 37,644. 32 dels quals disseminats)
- Ca n'Aurell (0.96 km² – pop. 17,439)
- la Maurina (0.42 km² – pop. 7,976)
- la Cogullada (0.42 km² – pop. 5,014)
- Roc Blanc (0.46 km² – pop. 5,438)
- Can Palet de Vista Alegre (0.76 km² – pop. 1,269)
- Vista Alegre (0.21 km²)
- les Martines (3.02 km² – pop. 476)
District 5 - North West (4.27 km² – pop. 44,040. 444 of which disseminated)
- Sant Pere (0.61 km² – pop. 11,656)
- Pla del Bon Aire (0.16 km² – pop. 2,682)
- Can Roca (0.25 km² – pop. 2,556)
- Poble Nou – Zona Esportiva (0.88 km² – pop. 11,441)
- Torrent d'en Pere Parres (0.24 km² – pop. 5,436)
- Can Boada (Casc Antic) (0.28 km² – pop. 7,712)
- Can Boada del Pi (0.67 km² – pop. 1,649)
- Can Gonteres (0.27 km² – pop. 357)
- Pla del Bon Aire – el Garrot (0.33 km² – pop. 107)
- Font de l'Espardenyera (0.18 km²)
- els Caus – els Pinetons (0.38 km²)
District 6 - North East (3.03 km² – pop. 40,088)
- les Arenes – la Grípia – Can Montllor (0.89 km² – pop. 13,525)
- Sant Llorenç (0.21 km² – pop. 4,857)
- Sant Pere Nord (0.71 km² – pop. 15,140)
- Ègara (0.42 km² – pop. 4,185)
- Can Tusell (0.14 km² – pop. 2,381)
- Industrial estates: Can Petit (0.40 km²) – Nord (0.25 km²)
The churches of Sant Pere (Saint Peter)
These three churches were built close to the site of old Ègara to be the seat of the Ègara DioceseDiocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
, which was founded around 450 CE and remained in existence until the 8th century. This episcopal complex follows the Byzantine model of antiquity, with two churches (Sant Pere and Santa Maria) and a mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
(Sant Miquel). After a long period of construction, the churches were finished in the then-current manner about the 11th and 12th centuries and in Romanesque style, on the site of the pre-Romanesque buildings of the Visigothic period.
The church of Santa Maria contains outstanding works of art, and there are murals dating from the Romanesque period to the Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
. There is also an altar stone dating from the 10th century and medieval and Romanesque tombstones (one of which documents the name of the Roman town of Egara). In the transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
there are three Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
altarpiece
Altarpiece
An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...
s.
- Santa Maria (Saint Mary) the old Cathedral
- ApseApseIn architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
from the 6th century - NaveNaveIn Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
from the 11th century with exterior LombardyLombardyLombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
-style decorations - Romanesque frescoFrescoFresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es of Saint Thomas Becket from the 12th century - Frescoes from the 13th century
- Apse
- Sant Pere (Saint Peter)
- Transept and apse from 9th to 10th centuries
- Nave from the 12th century
- MosaicMosaicMosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
from the 10th century (geometric designs) - Stone altarpiece of Sant Pere from the 10th century
- Gothic frescoes from the 13th century
- Sant Miquel (Saint Michael)
- The Greek cross plan and the walls are the originals from the 6th century
- Frescoes from the 7th and 8th centuries in the apse
- Other items
- Altarpiece of Sant Pere (1411) by Lluís Borrassà
- Altarpiece of Roser (1587)
- Altarpiece of Sant Ruf (17th century)
- Altarpiece of Sant Miquel (1450-51) by Jaume Cirera and Guillem Talarn
- Gothic altarpiece of Sant Abdò i Sant Senèn (1460) by Jaume HuguetJaume HuguetJaume Huguet was a Catalan painter.Originally from Valls, he moved to Tarragona to stay with his uncle Pere Huguet, who was also a painter. When they moved to Barcelona he was exposed to modern trends of the time...
- Polychrome sculpture of saint Mary from the 14th century
Other
The city is heir to a rich medieval, Modernista and industrial legacy, and possesses an extensive network of libraries, historical archives and museums.- The museum of Terrassa, municipally-owned, has various sections:
- Castle/Charterhouse of Vallparadís, in the Park of Vallparadís
- Visigothic-Romanesque churches of Sant Pere (Saint Peter)
- Casa Alegre de Sagrera, Modernista house in Carrer Font Vella
- Tower of the Palau, the only vestige of the castle-palace of the count-kings of Catalonia in Terrassa
- Center of medieval interpretation of the city of Terrassa
- Convent of Sant Francesc, cloisterCloisterA cloister is a rectangular open space surrounded by covered walks or open galleries, with open arcades on the inner side, running along the walls of buildings and forming a quadrangle or garth...
decorated with polichromed ceramics (1671-1673)
- Museum of Science and Technology Catalonia, in the former Aymerich Amat i Jover mill, managed by the Generalitat de CatalunyaGeneralitat de CatalunyaThe Generalitat of Catalonia is the institution under which the autonomous community of Catalonia is politically organised. It consists of the Parliament, the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia and the Government of Catalonia....
Municipal Government
The Municipal Council has 27 seats and according to the result of the local elections of May 2007 is formed by:- PSC 13 seats (28,640 votes, 43.56%)
- CiU 6 seats (13,041 votes, 19.83%)
- ICV 3 seats (6,736 votes, 10.25%)
- PP 3 seats (6,468 votes, 9.84%)
- ERC 2 seats (4,870 votes, 7.41%)
The municipal government is formed by a coalition between PSC, ICV and ERC. The Mayor is Pere Navarro (PSC).
Transportation
Terrassa is well connected with Barcelona's portPort
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
and airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
by highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
and railway. The C-58 and C-16
C-16 (highway)
C-16 or Eix del Llobregat is a primary highway in Catalonia, Spain. It is also part of the European route E09, from Orléans to Barcelona ....
also link the city with (Manresa
Manresa
Manresa is the capital of the Comarca of Bages, located in the geographic centre of Catalonia, Spain, and crossed by the river Cardener. It is an industrial area with textile, metallurgical, and glass industries. The houses of Manresa are arranged around the basilica of Santa María de la Seo....
), (Girona
Girona
Girona is a city in the northeast of Catalonia, Spain at the confluence of the rivers Ter, Onyar, Galligants and Güell, with an official population of 96,236 in January 2009. It is the capital of the province of the same name and of the comarca of the Gironès...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), and (Tarragona
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
).
The railway reached Terrassa in 1856, and nowadays two lines serve the city. The first, operated by 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...
, connects with Barcelona and Lleida
Lleida
Lleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
, and the second, operated by FGC
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya , or FGC, is a railway company which operates several unconnected lines in Catalonia, Spain....
, with Barcelona. FGC is extending its line to the north of the city, building three new stations, one of them will act as a rail hub with the RENFE line. An exact completion time for this project has yet to be determined.
Several interurban bus lines connect Terrassa with the closest cities and towns such as Sabadell
Sabadell
Sabadell is the second largest city in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, Spain. It is in the south of the comarca, on the River Ripoll, 20 km north-west of Barcelona...
, Castellar del Vallès
Castellar del Vallès
Castellar del Vallès is a municipality of the comarca of Vallès Occidental located 7 km from Sabadell and 11 km from Terrassa, the two comarca's capitals...
, Martorell
Martorell
Martorell is a town near Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain, primarily known for its medieval Devil's bridge.It has three railway stations - one on the RENFE line from Manresa to Sant Vicenç de Calders called "Martorell", and three on the FGC line from Barcelona to Manresa called "Martorell-Vila",...
, Rubí
Rubí
Rubí is a Mexican telenovela that aired on Televisa in 2004. The plot is based on a short story by Yolanda Vargas Dulché, published as a serial on the 1960's Mexican comic book Lágrimas, Risas y Amor...
, Sant Cugat del Vallès
Sant Cugat del Vallès
Sant Cugat del Vallès is a town and municipality north of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. In antiquity known as Castrum Octavianum, it is named after Saint Cucuphas, who is said to have been martyred on the spot now occupied by its medieval monastery.Sant Cugat has seen its population increase in...
and Vacarisses
Vacarisses
Vacarisses is a village in the province of Barcelona and autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain....
.
Transport inside the city is provided by 14 bus lines operated by a municipal company (Municipals d'Egara). In the future, when the three new FGC stations and the two planned for the RENFE line are in use, the railway will also serve as urban transport.
Sports
Terrassa was a pioneer in the introduction of field hockeyField hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
and korfball
Korfball
Korfball is a mixed gender team sport, with similarities to netball and basketball. A team consists of eight players; four female and four male. A team also includes a coach. It was founded in the Netherlands in 1902 by Nico Broekhuysen. In the Netherlands there are around 580 clubs, and over a...
in Catalonia and played an important role in the introduction of basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. The most important sport in the city is field hockey. During the Barcelona Olympic Games
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...
in 1992, Terrassa was the city where the field hockey competition was played. The great number of hockey players from Terrassa who have participated in the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
over the years has led to Terrassa's being referred to as the “most Olympic city in the world“. Between 1928 and 2004, Terrassa sent 124 athletes to the Olympic Games, the majority of whom were hockey players. Three local field hockey clubs play in the main Spanish league championship:
- Atlètic Terrassa Hockey Club (also with a women's team)
- Club Egara (also with a women's team)
- Club Deportiu Terrassa (also with a women's team)
Atlètic Terrassa and Club Egara have won the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup.
Other local sports teams include Club Natació Terrassa (water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
), which won the 2006 LEN Trophy); Terrassa FC
Terrassa FC
Terrassa Futbol Club, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Terrassa, Barcelona, in the autonomous community of Catalonia. Founded in 1906, it currently plays in 3ª - Group 5, holding home matches at Estadi Olímpic de Terrassa, with a capacity of 11.500 spectators.-History:In 1914, Terrassa's...
(football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
), and Sferic Terrassa (basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
).
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and Spanish
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...
national football team midfielder Xavier Hernández
Xavier Hernandez
Francis Xavier "The X-Man" Hernandez , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the major leagues primarily in relief, from 1989-1998. He was the pitching coach for the Durham Bulls...
.
Mass media
Terrasa has a local newspaper, the Diari de Terrassa, that is published daily from Tuesday to Saturday, as well as several radio stations: Ràdio Terrassa/Cadena SER Vallès on 828 AM and 89.4 FM, with more than 75 years of history behind it, being one of the pioneering radio stations in Catalonia and Spain; the municipal radio (Noucincpuntdos, 95.2 FM); and Radio Star de Terrassa, the city's cultural station, on 100.5 FM, which was founded in 1984 and is one of the historic local radios of Catalonia.Also the city has several local channels - TV20 Locàlia Vallès and Canal Terrassa, with an audience of more than 50,000 viewers. In addition, there is the free newspaper Terrassa Societat, published monthly with a circulation of 50,000, and Terrassa Month, published of Monday through Friday and also covering local events. Since 2005 the municipal digital newspaper e-newsterrassa.com, in Catalan, has been on line. The municipal Web site www.terrassa.cat receives no fewer than 150,000 monthly visitors.
There's a new media, free magazine called "La Veu de Terrassa and owned by "El Grup la veu."