La Seu d'Urgell

La Seu d'Urgell
Municipality
Seu d'Urgell Cathedral
Coat of arms
Location in Alt Urgell county
La Seu d'Urgell Show map of Catalonia La Seu d'Urgell Show map of Spain
Coordinates: 42°21′29″N 1°27′22″E / 42.358°N 1.456°E / 42.358; 1.456
Sovereign state	Spain
Community	Catalonia
Region	Alt Pirineu
County	Alt Urgell
Province	Lleida
Government
• Mayor	Joan Barrera i Aranda (2023) (PSC)
Area [1]
• Total	15.4 km2 (5.9 sq mi)
Elevation	691 m (2,267 ft)
Population  (2018)[2]
• Total	12,041
• Density	780/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Demonyms	Urgellenc, urgellenca or Urgellès, urgellesa
Climate	Cfb
Website	www.laseu.cat

La Seu d'Urgell (Catalan:

Alt Urgell is the gateway to the state of Andorra and the proximity to this important population center and economic activity is one of the main reasons for the current vigour of the city of la Seu d'Urgell within Alt Pirineu.^[8]

The town's patron saints are Saint

The Segre Olympic Park, built in 1992 for the Barcelona Summer Olympic Games, is a pump-driven canoe and kayak sports venue located adjacent to the historical centre of la Seu d'Urgell.

Name origins

The name la Seu d'Urgell, in Latin Sedes Urgelli, is formed by two different words: Seu from the Latin "Sedes", or seat, and Urgell a pre-Roman name. Catalan linguist Joan Coromines interpreted that the name is related to the presence of water.^[13]

The Iberian settlement of Arse-durgui (or Arse d'Urgui) was on the hill of Castellciutat. At that time the hill was called Puiolo Urgelli. Where there was the village of Arse-durgui they built the city of Urgell (in Latin civitas Orgellia and in Catalan ciutat d'Urgell) and here lies the origin of the name Castellciutat. Until the eighteenth century the town was known simply as "Ciutat" (City in English) and Castell (Castle) was added because the existence of an ancient castle that was home of the Counts of Urgell.

Shortly after the destruction of the former Orgellia new neighborhood arose, which became the new home of the

Over time, Sedes Urgelli took importance and lost the word vicus (denotes that it was a district) while civitas Orgellia lost the word Orgellia and becomes simply Civitas until the 18th century.^[7]

Location

The city is at the confluence of two rivers, the

Because it is located at one of the major crossroads of communication in the Catalan

Parallel to the Valira river rises a mountain range, where stand the remains of two great fortresses, the Ciutadella and Ciutat Castle (in Castellciutat), both of historic importance in the town. Small banks or open plains around the Segre are separated by gorges.

In the north, La Seu d'Urgell has borders with the municipality of

• Bell-lloc.
• Castellciutat (a village).
• Les Torres.
• La Seu d'Urgell districts:
  • Sant Antoni.
  • Sant Pere.
  • Poble-sec.
  • La Seu d'Urgell:
    • Santa Magdalena.
    • Serrat de la Capella.
    • Eixample Bergós (non-official).
    • Casc antic (Town center historic district in English) (non-official).

Fairs, festivals and markets

Despite the low population density of

• Traditional market takes place every Tuesday and Saturday in the Main Street.
• Fira de Sant Ermengol, documented as the oldest of Spain,^[12] held on the third weekend of October.
• Fira de Formatges Artesans del Pirineu (cheese fair of Pyrenean artisans).
• Spring Fair held in April and includes an exhibition of the best examples of Vaca bruna dels Pirineus, a cow from Pyrenees.
• Fira d'Art, an art exhibition, held since 2007.
• Mercat Medieval dels Canonges: a festival of street music, theater, circus, falconery and old offices.
• Mercat de les Opportunitats is held twice a year.
• International Music Festival Joan Brudieu began in 1969 and is held in July and August.

Attractions

• Church monuments:
  • Santa Maria d'Urgell,
    cathedral of la Seu d'Urgell
    , in the square of Oms.
  • Cloisters of the cathedral of Urgell.
  • Diocese of Urgell Museum. It houses the Urgell Beatus illuminated manuscript.
  • Palau Episcopal de la Seu d'Urgell (Episcopal Palace), the palace courtyard.
  • Library of Sant Agustí, current municipal library where there was the old convent of Sant Agustí.
  • Church of Sant Miquel along the cloister of Santa Maria d'Urgell is the only building that remains of the cathedral complex built by Sant Ermengol that dates from the year 1035.
  • Old Church of Santa Immaculada and future conference room.
  • Old Church of Sant Domènec, a Gothic building. It is used for conferences and exhibitions.
  • Church of Santa Magdalena, the most important church from the social point of view.
  • Seminari conciliar. To the north of the city, it is surrounded by a large courtyard building with a monumental facade featuring a neo-Romanesque design. Built in 1860 by Roman Samson.

• Old Town, or historic center, where there are Canonges street and the Main Street, both of high architectural value, in addition to the courtyard of the Palau and square Oms where there are the City Hall. The Passeig de Joan Brudieu, the center of la Seu d'Urgell, is one of the most important streets and divides the old town and the new one.
• Castellciutat village, has panoramic views over the Tower of Solsona, the castel and Ciutadella.
• Educational Centers
  • Cultural Center "Les Monges" (The Nuns), there are the schools of dance, music and plastic arts in addition to municipal child care, a center of
    UNED
    .
  • IES Joan Brudieu: Institute for secondary education, high school.
• Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park

Sport

At its

• Pic de Salòria 2.789 m.
• Monturull 2.761 m.
• Torreta de Cadí 2.562 m.
• Cap del Verd in Alt Urgell and Solsonès 2.282 m.
• El Coscollet 1.610 m.

Notable people

The writer Teresa Colom i Pich was born here in 1973.^[17]

References