Vilallonga del Camp
Encyclopedia
Vilallonga del Camp is a municipality in the Province of Tarragona, Catalonia
, Spain
. According to 2009 its population was 1,889 inhabitants. Vilallonga del Camp is the only village within the municipality. It is located north of the provincial capital of Tarragona
, roughly 12 miles from the coast. It lies along the A-27 road, north of El Morell
and La Pobla de Mafumet
, near El Rourell
, just to the northeast. Heavily surrounded by fields full of crops, the municipality's main economic activity is agriculture; mainly hazelnut
s, grape
s, almond
s, olive
and carob trees.
In the seventeenth century, Vilallonga was in the hands of the Dalmases family and in 1710 the lord of the town, Pau Ignasi de Dalmases i Roc, was appointed by the Archduke Carlos, 1st Marquis of Vilallonga. In 1838, a violent battle occurred between the militiamen and the "carlists". commanded by Llarg de Copons
during which 138 men lost their lives. Vilallonga del Camp became a formal municipality on 19 February 1937.
The feast day of Vilallonga is the 30 July, the feast day of Sant Abdó and Sant Senen. On 11 November, another feast day is celebrated to honour to Sant Martí. The Feast of La Rosa occurs on the second Sunday of May, and the feast of Del Roser is on the second Sunday of October. These is also a fair, known to the locals as simply "Fira", which takes place on the first Sunday of October.
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...
. According to 2009 its population was 1,889 inhabitants. Vilallonga del Camp is the only village within the municipality. It is located north of the provincial capital of 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...
, roughly 12 miles from the coast. It lies along the A-27 road, north of El Morell
El Morell
El Morell is a village in the province of Tarragona and autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain....
and La Pobla de Mafumet
La Pobla de Mafumet
La Pobla de Mafumet is a small town in the comarca of the Tarragonès, in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia Autonomous Community, Spain.- External links :***...
, near El Rourell
El Rourell
El Rourell is a municipality in the comarca of Alt Camp, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.The name is derived Rourell oak tree that is depicted in the arms of the people....
, just to the northeast. Heavily surrounded by fields full of crops, the municipality's main economic activity is agriculture; mainly hazelnut
Hazelnut
A hazelnut is the nut of the hazel and is also known as a cob nut or filbert nut according to species. A cob is roughly spherical to oval, about 15–25 mm long and 10–15 mm in diameter, with an outer fibrous husk surrounding a smooth shell. A filbert is more elongated, being about twice...
s, grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
s, 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...
s, olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
and carob trees.
History
The first manor in the area was first mentioned in documents in 1174.In 1213, Pere I made a pledge to limit the growth of the immediate area and so remained in the hands of the court until 1391, when the King Juan I of Aragon sold it to the archbishop of Tarragona. Later it was in hands of the Montoliu family, who retained in possession until the fourteenth century. A census of 1358 documents a Berenguer de Requesens being an owner of the manor, although in 1365-70 it was back with the Montoliu family with Berenguer de Montoliu.In the seventeenth century, Vilallonga was in the hands of the Dalmases family and in 1710 the lord of the town, Pau Ignasi de Dalmases i Roc, was appointed by the Archduke Carlos, 1st Marquis of Vilallonga. In 1838, a violent battle occurred between the militiamen and the "carlists". commanded by Llarg de Copons
Llarg de Copons
Llarg de Copons was one of the main warlords of the Carlists of Catalonia in the Second Carlist War .In 1838, he was appointed commander of Tarragona with Vall and Josep Masgoret i Marcó. Shortly afterwards he led the Carlists in the Battle of Vilallonga del Camp, during which 138 were...
during which 138 men lost their lives. Vilallonga del Camp became a formal municipality on 19 February 1937.
Culture
The parish church is dedicated to Sant Martí and is built in the seventeenth century neoclassical style; its facade is unfinished. At the top of the door is a relief representing the saint sharing his cloak with a beggar. Over the cornice is a triangular pediment that is supported by four columns with Corinthian capitals. On the outskirts of the village is a shrine dedicated to the Mare de Déu del Roser whose construction date is unknown. It contains one of the entrances to the old city wall and is mentioned in Francesc Blasi Vallespinosa's , "Santuaris Marians…".The feast day of Vilallonga is the 30 July, the feast day of Sant Abdó and Sant Senen. On 11 November, another feast day is celebrated to honour to Sant Martí. The Feast of La Rosa occurs on the second Sunday of May, and the feast of Del Roser is on the second Sunday of October. These is also a fair, known to the locals as simply "Fira", which takes place on the first Sunday of October.
Notable people
- Josep Mestres i MiquelJosep Mestres i MiquelJosep Mestres i Miquel was a Spanish doctor, politician, and agronomist. Born in Vilallonga del Camp, he was president of Tarragona Province from under the Unión Federal Nacionalista Republicana and was part of the first Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Catalonia...
(1868-1949) doctor, politician, and agronomist - Pedro VirgiliPedro VirgiliPedro Virgili was one of the most prominent royal surgeons of Spain in the 18th century and one of the surgeons of the King of Spain...
(1699-1776) -prominent royal surgeon