Horta de Sant Joan

Last updated
Horta de Sant Joan
Municipality
Horta de Sant Joan.jpg
Horta de Sant Joan
Bandera d'Horta de Sant Joan.svg
Flag
Escut d'Horta de Sant Joan.svg
Coat of arms
Catalonia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Horta de Sant Joan
Location in Catalonia
Coordinates: 40°57′23″N0°18′59″E / 40.95639°N 0.31639°E / 40.95639; 0.31639 Coordinates: 40°57′23″N0°18′59″E / 40.95639°N 0.31639°E / 40.95639; 0.31639
Country Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
Autonomous community Flag of Catalonia.svg  Catalonia
Province Tarragona
Comarca Terra Alta
Government
 • mayorJoaquim Ferràs Prats (2015) [1]
Area
[2]
 • Total119.0 km2 (45.9 sq mi)
Elevation
542 m (1,778 ft)
Population
 (2018) [3]
 • Total1,146
 • Density9.6/km2 (25/sq mi)
Climate Csa
Website www.hortadesantjoan.cat

Horta de Sant Joan is a village and municipality in comarca of Terra Alta in Catalonia, Spain. Pablo Picasso spent a year in this town and learned a considerable amount of his artistic skills in the town.

Contents

History

Because of its location on a small hill with a natural spring near the top, Horta has been inhabited for centuries. It was a great advantage during medieval sieges, to not be forced to get water from the rivers outside of town. The earliest inhabitants were Iberians, who lived in the area until the arrival of the Romans. In the 8th century Horta, like most of Spain, was under Muslim rule, then reconquered by Christians in the 12th Century. There are still olive trees, like the 1,000-year-old Parot, that were planted by the Muslims during their 400-year rule.

Horta de Sant Joan is the birthplace of Manuel Pallares, friend and companion of Pablo Picasso. Picasso spent some time in Horta during his youth (1897–98) with his friend Manuel. He is quoted as having said, "Everything I know I learned in Horta". Picasso later returned to develop his Proto-Cubism style of painting (1909). During both visits he made many paintings and drawings. There is a Centro Picasso (Picasso Center) that organizes expositions, symposiums, and publications about the artist. There is also an Eco-Museum of the Natural Park of the Ports, and a visitor's center with maps and hotel information. [4]

Geography

Horta de Sant Joan, sometimes called Orta, is located on a hill with a view of the landscape of the northwestern foothills of the mountain range called the Ports of Beceite. The Saint Salvador d'Horta monastery, also known as Convent of Angels, is located at the foot of the Santa Barbara Mountain. [5]

The rock formations called Benet's Rocks are located within Horta de Sant Joan's municipal area. Benet's Rocks form the most characteristic overall landscape in the northern section of the mountain range. Of the three large rock forms, the left-most one is referred to as the Dog's Head because when viewed from the side it strongly resembles that form.

Much of Horta de Sant Joan is within the Natural Park of the Ports of Beseite. The area outside the park boundaries is mostly agricultural, with large tracts of olive, almond, and fruit trees, as well as vineyards.

There are three major rivers crossing the area around Horta. The river Algars to the west forms the boundary between Catalonia (comarca of Terra Alta) and Aragon (comarca of Matarraña). The second river, Estrets, is to the west and is a tributary of the river Algars. The river Canaletes, to the north, later joins the largest river in Spain, the Ebro.

Climate

Horta de Sant Joan has an Interior Mediterranean climate, with very cold winters and extremely hot summers. The area benefits from the Ports Mountain range, which traps cooler sea air from the coast and brings a natural form of "air conditioning" in the evenings in the summer called the Garbi for the winds from the east by that name.

Economy

With the natural park surrounding it, Horta's economy is mainly based around agriculture, with tourism also being a factor in the economy.

Notable people

Related Research Articles

Olot Municipality in Catalonia, Spain

Olot is the capital city of the comarca of Garrotxa, in the Province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. The city is known for its natural landscape, including four volcanoes scattered around the city center. The municipality is part of the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park. Olot is also well known for its cultural activity, with historical art movements like Olot school or factories of religious imagery, which contributed to the location in the city of the main Design and Arts & Crafts school of the province of Girona, the Escola d'Art i Superior de Disseny d'Olot.

Comarcas of Spain

In Spain traditionally and historically, some autonomous communities are also divided into comarcas.

Cadaqués Municipality in Catalonia

Cadaqués is a town in the Alt Empordà comarca, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is on a bay in the middle of the Cap de Creus peninsula, near Cap de Creus cape, on the Costa Brava of the Mediterranean. It is two-and-a-quarter-hour drive from Barcelona, and thus it is accessible not only to tourists but also to people who want a second home for weekends and summers. In 2002, Cadaqués had an official population of 2,612, but up to ten times as many people can live in the town during the peak of the summer tourism season.

Garrotxa Comarca in Catalonia, Spain

Garrotxa is a comarca (county) in Girona, Catalonia, Spain. Its population in 2016 was 55,999, more than half of them in the capital city of Olot. It is roughly equivalent to the historical County of Besalú.

Matarraña Comarca in Aragon, Spain

Matarraña or Matarranya is a comarca in eastern Aragon, bordering the Spanish Autonomous Communities of Catalonia and Valencia. It is located in Teruel Province, in the mountainous Sistema Ibérico area.

El Vendrell Municipality in Catalonia, Spain

El Vendrell is a town located in the province of Tarragona, Catalonia, in the wine-growing region of Penedès. It is wedged between the Mediterranean and the coastal range. El Vendrell is the capital of the Baix Penedès comarca and a tourist spot, with the beaches of Comarruga, Sant Salvador and El Vendrell.

Sant Andreu de Llavaneres Municipality in Catalonia, Spain

Sant Andreu de Llavaneres is a municipality located 36 km north of Barcelona (Catalonia) (Spain), along the Mediterranean coast, between Mataró and Sant Vicenç de Montalt. It belongs to the Maresme comarca and the Barcelona province. The short name is simply Llavaneres.

Montcada i Reixac Municipality in Catalonia, Spain

Montcada i Reixac, often referred to as simply Montcada, is a municipality in the comarca of the Vallès Occidental in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated at the confluence of the Ripoll river and the Besós river, and very close to the northernmost neighbourhoods of the city of Barcelona and is therefore a part of the metropolitan area of Barcelona. It had 33,656 inhabitants according to the 2010 census.

Argentona Municipality in Catalonia, Spain

Argentona is a municipality in the comarca of the Maresme in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the south-east side of the granite Litoral range, to the north-west of Mataró. The town is both a tourist centre and a notable horticultural centre. A local road links the municipality with Cabrera de Mar and with the main N-II road at Vilassar de Mar.

Dosrius Municipality in Catalonia, Spain

Dosrius is a municipality in the comarca of Maresme in Catalonia, Spain, located in the interior of the comarca on the border with the Eastern Valleys, and is at the head of the Argentona Riera. The original name, first recorded in 963, is "Duos Rios". This literally means "Two Rivers" and refers to the 2 rivers that join to form the Argentona Riera, and is reflected in the coat of arms. These rivers are rarely flowing, though quickly fill during wet weather causing disruption in the village owing to the narrow streets being one way. Newer housing and the school are on the other side of the river, and egress from housing further up the valley frequently takes this route owing to the poor condition of the newly built "Ronda de Dalt". A bridge has been built that would alleviate this problem, though this still hasn't been opened due to the currently suspended construction work that is part of the same development. It is unknown when the bridge will be open to traffic.

Arens de Lledó Place in Aragon, Spain

Arens de Lledó or Arenys de Lledó is a municipality located in the Matarraña/Matarranya comarca, province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2008 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 217 inhabitants, and covers an area of 34.27 square kilometres. It is situated in the Franja de Ponent.

Sant Fruitós de Bages Municipality in Catalonia, Spain

Sant Fruitós de Bages is a municipality in the comarca of Bages in Catalonia, Spain. The monastery of Sant Benet de Bages is situated here.

Ports de Tortosa-Beseit

Ports de Tortosa-Beseit, also known as Ports de Beseit, or simply as Els Ports[əls ˈpɔɾts] or Lo Port[lu ˈpɔɾt] by locals, is a limestone mountain massif located at the north-eastern end of the Sistema Ibérico, a complex system of mountain ranges and massifs in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. Its highest point is Mont Caro, 1,441 m. Rivers such as the Matarranya and the Sénia have their source in these mountains.

Sant Joan les Fonts Municipality in Catalonia, Spain

Sant Joan les Fonts is a municipality of the comarca of Garrotxa, located in Girona, Catalonia, northern Spain. As of 2014, the population is 2,919. Until 1949 it was known as Begudà.

Arnes, Terra Alta Municipality in Catalonia, Spain

Arnes is a municipality in the comarca of la Terra Alta in Catalonia, Spain.

El Pinell de Brai Municipality in Catalonia, Spain

El Pinell de Brai is a municipality in the comarca of la Terra Alta in Catalonia, Europe.

Roques de Benet

Roques de Benet is a compact group of sheer rocky outcrops in the northwestern side of the Ports de Tortosa-Beseit, Catalonia, Spain. The highest summit has an elevation of 1,017.1 metres above sea level.

Marçà Municipality in Catalonia, Spain

Marçà is a municipality in the comarca of Priorat, Tarragona Province, Catalonia, Spain.

La Vall de Bianya Municipality in Catalonia, Spain

La Vall de Bianya is a municipality of the comarca of Garrotxa, Catalonia, Spain. It is formed by eleven villages scattered around the Bianya and Bac valleys. The seat of the municipal government is in L'Hostalnou de Bianya, and the village with more inhabitants is La Canya. This latter village is divided between the municipalities of La Vall de Bianya and Sant Joan les Fonts. The municipality is part of the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park and the Alta Garrotxa Consortium.

<i>Brick Factory at Tortosa</i>

Brick Factory at Tortosa is a 1909 oil on canvas painting by Pablo Picasso, which he created during a visit to Horta de Sant Joan in Catalonia. It depicts a landscape of a factory and palm trees, which are presented in a simplified, geometric style. The work belongs to Picasso's African Period and is considered a Proto-Cubist work. It is held in the collection of The State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.

References

  1. ↑ "Ajuntament d'Horta de Sant Joan". Generalitat of Catalonia . Retrieved 2015-11-13.
  2. ↑ "El municipi en xifres: Horta de Sant Joan". Statistical Institute of Catalonia . Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  3. ↑ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
  4. ↑ "Picasso in Horta". Centre Picasso - Horta. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  5. ↑ "Horta de Sant Joan Tourist Office". Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2010-10-08.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.