La Bisbal d'Empordà

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La Bisbal d'Empordà
Municipality
ERC)
Area
[2]
 • Total
20.6 km2 (8.0 sq mi)
Elevation
39 m (128 ft)
Population
 (2018)[3]
 • Total
10,859
 • Density530/km2 (1,400/sq mi)
ClimateCsa
Websitelabisbal.cat

La Bisbal d'Empordà (Catalan pronunciation: [lə βizˈbal dəmpuɾˈða]) is the county seat of the comarca of Baix Empordà in Catalonia, Spain. The town lies 29 km southeast of Girona, 12 km west of Palafrugell and 19 km northwest of Palamós along road C-66 from Girona to Palafrugell/Palamós, where it becomes C-31. Two other roads branch off at La Bisbal, GI-660 to Calonge and Sant Feliu de Guíxols and GI-664 to Cassà de la Selva; both roads cross the hilly coastal range called the Gavarres, with many twists and turns. The municipality lies on the northern edge of the Gavarres, on either side of the Daró river-bed, a dry tributary of River Ter.

The town's name is derived from the Catalan word for "bishop", 'bisbe', as the town was owned by the bishops of Girona from the Carolingian period onward. The town is built over the site of a Roman settlement named Fontanetum, and in Old Catalan was sometimes referred to as Fontanet. The Spanish name of La Bisbal del Ampurdán is no longer in official use.

The modern settlement can be dated back to no later than the

consecration of the church of Santa Maria de la Bisbal in 901 (the current baroque structure dates from the 17th century). The fortified episcopal palace, constructed partially in the Romanesque style
, occupies an eminent spot in the historic town center.

The town became home to many

Henry O'Donnell defeated the French forces of General François Xavier de Schwarz on 14 September 1810. The town was briefly occupied by Carlist forces in 1874 during the Third Carlist War
.

The economy is heavily based on pottery manufacture, as well as agriculture.

The town was served by the 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge Palamós–Girona–Banyoles railway, which reached a junction with the Barcelona–Cerbère railway at Flaçà by 1887 and was extended to Girona by 1921. Service on the line continued until 1956.[4][5]

And not least, La Bisbal is one of the traditional centers of the Sardana, the Catalan folk dance.

Geography

Besides the town of La Bisbal d'Empordà itself, the municipality includes the following populated places:

Notable people

  • Weekly market on Plaça Major, with the Santa Maria church.
    Weekly market on Plaça Major, with the Santa Maria church.
  • The palace-castle of La Bisbal.
    The palace-castle of La Bisbal.
  • The dry bed of the river Daró in the town centre.
    The dry bed of the river Daró in the town centre.
  • Ceramics is the mainstay of the local economy.
    Ceramics is the mainstay of the local economy.

References

  1. Generalitat of Catalonia
    . Retrieved 2015-11-13.
  2. Statistical Institute of Catalonia
    . Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  3. ^ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
  4. ^ "Railways in Catalunya". callCarlos. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  5. ^ "Petit Train Greenway". viasverdes.com. Archived from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  6. ^ Casey, Nicholas; Bautista, José (25 June 2021). "Humble Waiter or Son of a King? A Royal Mystery Piques Spain". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 September 2024.


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