Sant Martí d'Empúries is an entity of the town of
L'Escala. It is located next to the ruins of
Empúries
Empúries ( ca, Empúries ) was an ancient city on the Mediterranean coast of Catalonia, Spain. Empúries is also known by its Spanish name, Ampurias ( es, Ampurias ). The city Ἐμπόριον ( el, Ἐμπόριον, Emporion, meaning "tr ...
or Empòrion. Ancient Greeks established the settlement in the 6th century BC.
It was the county seat until 1079 Empúries moved to
Castelló d'Empúries
Castelló d'Empúries is a town and municipality in the Alt Empordà in Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It lies 9 km east of Figueres.
In 1079, Castelló d'Empúries became the capital of the Empúries county due to the previous capital, Sant Mar ...
place less exposed to attack.
Sant Martí d'Empúries is a staging point on the
GR 92
The GR 92 is part of the extensive GR footpath network of paths, tracks and trails in Spain. It will eventually run the length of the Mediterranean coast of Spain, from Portbou, on the border with France to Tarifa, the most southerly point of Sp ...
long distance footpath, which roughly follows the length of the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Stage 5, to the north, takes a route behind the coast to the ''El Cortalet'' pond in the
Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l'Empordà, a distance of . Stage 6, to the south, follows the coast to
l'Escala and then takes an inland route across the
Montgri Massif to reach the next staging point of
Torroella de Montgrí, a distance of .
History
It was an inhabited place since the arrival of Greeks from
Massalia
Massalia ( Greek: Μασσαλία; Latin: Massilia; modern Marseille) was an ancient Greek colony founded ca. 600 BC on the Mediterranean coast of present-day France, east of the river Rhône, by Ionian Greek settlers from Phocaea, in Wester ...
, actual Marseille (France) in the 6th century BC. Greeks established a settlement there called it, Kypsela ( el, Κύψελα). At the ancient times there is a possibility that there was a temple of
Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified with ...
on the island.
[
It was Christianized by Saint Feliu, an African ]martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
who died in 304 in Girona
Girona (officially and in Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in 2020. Girona is the capit ...
. He was bishop between 516 and 693. Charlemagne
Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first E ...
mentions Ermenguer as first Count of Empúries in 812.
References
External links
Sant Martí d'Empúries Parish.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sant Marti d'Empuries
Populated places in Alt Empordà
Greek colonies in Iberia
Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Spain