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Tremp (El Pallars Jussà - Pyrenees) the town located between two reservoirs (the Pantà de Sant Antoni and the Pantà de Cellers), offers visitors a thousand and one attractions to enjoy in their free time: culture, gastronomy (cured meats and fine wine), traditions (the Spring Fair on 14th May and the Quince Fair throughout the month of October). Visitors are encouraged to come and discover them all!
Emblematic buildings
·The ajuntament or town hall: In the year 1432 (15th century) the bishop of Urgell granted the Ajuntament (Town Council) of Tremp the house called the Abadia (abbey), in return for an annual payment of two hens and on condition of restoring the building, which was then in a ruinous state. As a result, the building was subsequently subjected to a total reconstruction and part of the building (the lower floor) became the local hostel, while the upper part became the municipal offices. On 11th March 1995, a new building was inaugurated and became the present site of the Ajuntament.
·The belfry: Construction of what was to become the present belfry began in 1908: the original plans saw the tower rising 27 metres above the old base, but economic problems resulted in the final height being 20 metres.
·The church square: At some time in the past, there was probably a Romanesque-style cloister on this site. This is evidenced by the capitals that can now be seen at the Museu d’Art of La Seu d’Urgell. The square also contains the house in which Father Josep Mañanet i Vives, who founded the Congregació de Fills de la Sagrada Família (Congregation of the Children of the Holy Family), was born. This priest opened a school that bore the name of Sant Josep, which originally occupied the site of the Museu de Ciències Naturals (Natural Science Museum), which we shall mention a little later. At the end of the 19th century, 6 divisions were built in the middle of the square for the sale of meat. In 1930, for reasons of public hygiene, these structures were knocked down, but for quite a long time after, people used to refer to this area as the “butchers’ square”.
·The Church of Nostra Senyora (Our Lady) de Valldeflors: This is a spacious building with a single nave that is 40 metres long, 13 wide and 20 high. The floor plan is rectangular and the building ends in a semi-circle and has the form of a Latin Cross, whose arms are currently occupied by the altars of the Santíssim (the Holiest) and of Sant Bonifaci. There are chapels on either side of the building, with various altars, and on the right hand side there is a door that leads out to the Placeta de l’Església (Church Square). Features of particular interest include:
·The organ: In 1673, an organ was first installed in the church of Tremp, and at a later date it was mechanised. In 1913, to mark the visit of the Bishop of Urgell, the president of the company La Canadenca (which was involved in work on the Sant Antoni reservoir) offered to make a donation and provided the current organ.
·The “Mare De Déu”: According to tradition, one winter a blackberry bush that was in the valley behind the church came into flower and the people who went to look at it found the image of the Mare de Déu (Virgin Mary), who many years before had hidden there. But in the 15th century a fire completely destroyed the main altar of the church and with it the image of the Virgin, which had enjoyed considerable devotion. The original image was then replaced by the slim, majestic carving that now stands in its place.
·The Museu de Ciències Naturals: The former College of Sant Josep of the Congregació dels Fills de la Sagrada Família was founded in 1864 by Father Josep Mª Manyanet i Vives. During the Spanish Civil War, the building was first used as offices by the local council and then by other institutions. The original building was subsequently demolished and made way for the Natural Science Museum that now stands in its place.
·“El Casal”: This building is on the road to Lleida and on the corner of Plaça (square) de Catalunya. In 1935, a secondary school was set up as a private initiative by a group of parents who decided to open the centre, with the support of the church, following the closure of the College of Sant Josep. “El Casal” (the manor house) has many of the typical characteristics of neo-classical buildings of the 1930s.
Spots to visit
·Carrer de Soldevila: Before the 16th century, this street lay outside the city walls and was inhabited by poor people and traders, but during the 16th and 17th centuries many noble and aristocratic families began to live there too and built majestic residences. It is still possible to see some of the coats of arms that used to decorate the arches of the doors.
·Rambla del Doctor Pearson: The name of this boulevard, which is still more popularly known as “el passeig”, comes from the Canadian engineer who was responsible for building the Sant Antoni reservoir. The “rambla” was built at the beginning of the 20th century and provides a good example of the architecture and urbanism of the 1920s. The present trees were planted during the Second Republic. ·El Pinell: The plantation of pine trees that now constitutes the green lung of Tremp was established in the mid-1930s. It was created beside the path that led to the Palau de Noguera and on an estate called “Pedra Santa“ that was next to the built up area. ·Pont de Sant Jaume: The Pont de Sant Jaume (St. James’s Bridge) was built by the Baró (baron) de Claret to connect the convent of the Dominican Friars to the main town. The bishop of California was the founder of the convent, which was destroyed in 1837.
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Tremp
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Tremp
Epicentre, Centre de visitants del Pallars Jussà - Passeig del Vall, 13 |
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