Torà (; es, Torá) is a town and municipality in the North East of the '' comarca'' ( county) of Segarra, in the province of

Lleida Lleida (, ; Spanish: Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It is also the capital city of the Segrià comarca, as ...

, Catalonia, Spain. The urban structure of the center has retained most of its original design, with narrow, twisting streets and blocks formed by rows of attached buildings. The Medieval town grew around a castle or fortified place (''Thoranum castrum''). A particular trait of the fortified origin of the town is the presence of a number of portals to allow several streets their pass through defensive barriers formed by the rows of buildings of the town and its walls. Torà is some 10 kilometers northeast from the more populated

Guissona Guissona is a town and municipality located in the north of the ''comarca'' (county) of Segarra, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. With 6,862 inhabitants (2015 census) Guissona (5,170 inhabitants in 2010) is the principal municipality ...

(6,145 inhabitants in 2010), a neighbor town that has experienced an important economic development in the last half century (mainly due to meat production and generation of a meat packing industry) parallel to an unprecedented demographic growth sped up in the recent years (from 3,060 inhabitants in 1998 to 6,145 in 2010). The municipality stretches along ''la Vall'' (valley) ''de la Riera'' (creek or brook) ''de Llanera'' (the Valley of Llanera's Creek) up to the confluence with the Llobregós River. Its orography is rather uneven with the lowest point at 430m and peaks rising up to 850m above sea level. The North sector features ''el Tossal'' (a kind of hill) ''de l'Aguda'' (L'Aguda's Hill), ''el Tossal de Sant Donat'' (Snat Donat's Hill), and the creek named ''la Riera de Llanera'' flowing across. On the other hand, the South sector features the hills ''el Tossal de Sant Pere'' and ''el Tossal de la Pineda'', crossed by ''la Riera de Cellers'', one of the ''Riera de Llaneras tributary brooks merging on its left. The town is settled by the left bank of the creek ''la Riera de Llanera'', near the confluence with the Llobregós River, at the bottom of the mountain range ''la Serra de l'Aguda''.Lleida.com
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In 1968, the former municipality of Llanera was integrated to Torà.

Districts and neighbourhoods

These are the

populated place Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

s present in the municipality of Torà: * Cellers (South East) * Claret (South East) * Fontanet (Center) * Llanera (North East) * Sant Serni de Llanera (East) * Torà nuclear town (South West) * Vallferosa (North)

History

Battle of Torà

There was a battle of the Reconquista fought between an alliance of Catalan counts and an army of the Caliphate of Córdoba in 1003 AD at Torà.

Culture

Festivals

* ''La festa major'' (the main festival of the town) on 1 September, the feast day of ''Sant Gil'' (

Saint Giles Saint Giles (, la, Aegidius, french: Gilles), also known as Giles the Hermit, was a hermit or monk active in the lower Rhône most likely in the 6th century. Revered as a saint, his cult became widely diffused but his hagiography is mostly lege ...

, the patron saint of Torà, extended to the first weekend of that month. * ''La Festa del Brut i la Bruta'' (the street party of He-brute and She-brute), in the weekend previous to the annual ''Carnestoltes'' (

carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

). * ''La festa del Roser'' ( Rosebush Festival), in May. * ''Revetlles populars de barri'' (neighborhood street verbenas, country fairs) in the beginning of the summer, after ''la Revetlla de Sant Joan'' (

St. John's Eve Saint John's Eve, starting at sunset on 23 June, is the eve of celebration before the Feast Day of Saint John the Baptist. The Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:26–37, 56–57) states that John was born six months before Jesus; therefore, the feast of J ...

on midsummer).

Main sights

Municipal constructions

* Plaça del Vall (Moat's Square), the Main Square * Plaça de la Font (Fountain's Square), in the nucleus * Font dels Dolors (a public fountain), 200m from the nucleus * Casa de la Vila (the City Hall), a previous hospital located in Plaça del Vall * Museu del Pa (local Bread Museum) * ''Cementiri'' (the town's cemetery) * ''Aqüeducte dels Frares'' ( aqueduct of the frays) behind ''Casa Farguell'' in the place known as ''Camí dels Tísics''. Built with blind round

arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vaul ...

es, 120m remaining * ''Pont de les Merites de Torà'' (ancient stone bridge) nearby the cemetery, with a round arch * ''Pontet del Diable'' also called ''Pontet de la Sentiu'', the remains of an aqueduct part of ''Rec del Moriquers'' also called ''Rec d'Ivorra'', an '' acequia'' (a community-operated waterway) started in 1366, in use until 1920. Outside the town toward the South * Pou del Gel (an ancient

ice well An ice house, or icehouse, is a building used to store ice throughout the year, commonly used prior to the invention of the refrigerator. Some were underground chambers, usually man-made, close to natural sources of winter ice such as freshwate ...

)

Military constructions and buildings

* Castell de l'Aguda (castle): in l'Aguda de Torà (ruins, expoliated) * Torre de Vallferosa (fortified watchtower): in Vallferosa (highly restored) * Casa Castell de Llanera (castle-house): in Llanera (fortified manor house, very damaged, expoliated)

Romanesque architecture

* Monestir de Sant Celdoni i Sant Ermenter de Cellers (monastery): with three crossing apses and a crypt, in Cellers * Església de Claret (church), 12th century (highly reformed) * Església de Sant Miquel (church): in Fontanet * Església de Santa Maria de Llanera (church): in Llanera (expoliated) * Església de Sant Salvador (church): in l'Aguda de Torà

Jewish legacy

* Antic call jueu de Torà (the former Jewish quarter): in Torà's central nucleus :Location: ''Carrer Nou'', with access through two portals: ''Portal Nou'' at ''Plaça del Pati'' ( Courtyard's Square), and a portal at ''Plaça de l'Església'' (Church's Square)article about Jewish culture at Lleidatur .com, the official website of the ''Patronat de Turisme de la Diputació de Lleida'' (the Province's Tourism Administration)
/ref>

Other monumental buildings

* ''Convent de Sant Anatoni de Pàdua'' (a convent devoted to Saint

Anthony of Padua Anthony of Padua ( it, Antonio di Padova) or Anthony of Lisbon ( pt, António/Antônio de Lisboa; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese Catholic Church, Catholic priesthood (Cath ...

), built between 1697 and 1747 * L'Hostal (hostal), still in use * Església de Santa Maria (church): in Vallferosa (expoliated)

Gallery

File:Torà - Carrer.jpg, Torà - Street File:Tora_Xmas.jpg, Torà in Christmas File:Toracemetery.jpg, Torà - The town's cemetery, taken from ''Avinguda de l'Aguda'' (l'Aguda de Torà Avenue) File:Cananuria.jpg, Torà - ''Ca na Núria'' (

Núria Núria () is a Catalan girls' name taken from the Virgin of Núria, a Marian shrine located in the eponymous valley, the Vall de Núria. The name also occurs in Spanish without the accent as Nuria, given that the Spanish name of the valley is ''el ...

's house), ''Avinguda del Cementiri'' (Cemetery Av.) and ''Camí del Pont de Marites'' (Marites' Bridge's Farm Road) File:Torre de Vallferosa.jpg, Torà - ''Torre de Vallferosa'' (fortified watchtower) File:Torà - Plaça del Vall - Holy Friday Market 1983.jpg, Torà - ''Plaça del Vall'' (main square) - Holy Friday market (1983)

Communications

Torà is along the county road C-1412. Coming from Balaguer, C-1313 towards La Seu d'Urgell until Ponts and then, the road C-1412 towards Calaf. Coming from Cervera, the national road N-141, then the local road LV-3003.

Demographics

References

External links

* Town Council's website
Turisme Segarra .com /pobles /Torà (portal de la Segarra a Internet)
article with some detailed information about Torà published in the County's Tourism Website.
Lleida .com /municipis
a borough's database.
Government data pages
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tora Municipalities in Segarra Populated places in Segarra