Martorell () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

, and

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

that forms part of the

Baix Llobregat Baix Llobregat () is a comarca (county) on the coast of Catalonia, Spain. It is located in the Barcelona region and its capital is Sant Feliu de Llobregat. Municipalities Proposed changes It has long been proposed to split the northern part of ...

comarca A ''comarca'' (, , , ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain, and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, mark ...

, in

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, primarily known for its medieval

Devil's bridge Devil's Bridge is a term applied to dozens of ancient bridges, found primarily in Europe. Most of these bridges are stone or masonry arch bridges and represent a significant technological achievement in ancient architecture. Due to their unusu ...

. It lies at the confluence of the

Llobregat The Llobregat () is the second longest river in Catalonia, Spain, after the Ter. It flows into the Mediterranean south of the city of Barcelona. Its name could have originated in an ancient Latin word meaning 'dark', 'muddy' or 'slippery', or ...

and

Anoia Anoia () is a comarca (county) in central Catalonia, Spain, with its capital at Igualada. It is mainly located in the Penedès region, with its northern section being in Central Catalonia. The comarca of Anoia is irrigated by the Anoia River; ...

rivers. It has three railway stations - one on the

Renfe Renfe (, ), officially Renfe-Operadora, is Spain's national state-owned railway company. It was created in 2005 upon the split of the former Spanish National Railway Network (RENFE) into the Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias ( ...

line from

Manresa Manresa () is the capital of Bages county, located in the central region of Catalonia, Spain. Crossed by the river Cardener, it is an industrial area with textile, metallurgical, and glass industries. The houses of Manresa are arranged aro ...

to Sant Vicenç de Calders (via Barcelona and

Vilafranca del Penedès Vilafranca del Penedès, or simply Vilafranca, is the capital of Alt Penedès county in Penedès, Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the Penedès Depression on the left bank of the Foix River, and on the main axis of communication from Barcel ...

) called "Martorell", and three on the FGC line from Barcelona to Manresa called "Martorell-Vila", "Martorell-Enllaç" and "Martorell-Central". Martorell is home to the

SEAT A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but may also refer to concentrations of power in a wider sense (i.e " seat (legal entity)"). See disambiguation. Types of seat The ...

corporate headquarters and automobile factory, where the SEAT Ibiza, Leon, Arona and Audi A1 are manufactured.

History

Archaeological findings indicate human presence in the Llobregat Valley dating back to the Neolithic period, as well as the existence of Iberian settlements. The area also saw the presence of Carthaginian settlements, who were the first to build a bridge over the Llobregat River. The Romans occupied the territory as early as the 2nd century BC, and Martorell later became a key point along the Via Augusta, which crossed the river via the so-called Pont del Diable, a Roman bridge that still stands today. Roman rule was followed by Visigothic domination from the 4th century onward, as evidenced by the remains of a paleochristian church and a necropolis in Santa Margarida, which confirm the spread of Christianity in the 5th century. Sparsely inhabited for centuries, the area saw significant population growth in the late 9th century, and by 878, a settlement had been established on the right bank of the Llobregat. The first recorded mention of Martorell dates back to 1032, when the region was under the rule of the Castelvell family before passing to the Moncada lineage. In 1344, Roger Bernard III of Foix granted Martorell the status of a municipality. In the early 15th century, the town suffered the consequences of the succession struggles between the House of Foix and King Martin I of Aragon. During the Guerra dels Segadors, Martorell became the headquarters of the troops defending Barcelona. In 1641, the town was besieged and destroyed by the forces of the Marquis de los Vélez. After being rebuilt, it was devastated once again in 1652 by a severe plague epidemic that swept through much of Europe. In 1714, the Castle of Rosades was occupied, and its Torre de l'Homenatge was blown up. The early 19th century brought further turmoil with the war against the French, during which Napoleon's troops plundered the town. The following decades were marked by Spain's political instability, which saw three civil wars, seven different constitutions, seven monarchs, a change of dynasty, multiple military coups, and a short-lived republic lasting just one year—all of which had a lasting impact on Martorell.Martorell
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Demography

Climate

References

* Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria (1989). ''Guia de Catalunya'', Barcelona: Caixa de Catalunya. (Spanish). (Catalan).

External links

Government data pages
{{authority control Municipalities in Baix Llobregat