Guissona
Encyclopedia
Guissona is a town
and municipality
located in the North of the comarca (county
) of Segarra
, in the province of Lleida
, Catalonia
, Spain
. With 6,145 inhabitants (2010 census) Guissona (5,170 inhabitants in 2010) is the principal municipality in the Northern half of Segarra and the second most populated in the county after Cervera
(9,328 inhabitants in 2009). In addition to the populated place
of Guissona, the municipality integrates the smaller place of Guarda-si-venes (31 inhabitants in 2007.)
In the last half century the town has experienced an important economic development mainly due to meat production and the creation of a meat packing industry
. Such development has run parallel to a fast demographic growth, especially intensified during the last decade (from 3,060 inhabitants in 1998 to 6,145 in 2010). As a consequence, the municipality accounts for the highest percentage of immigrant population registered in the whole province.
) and food processing
industry. In Guissona is based Grup Alimentari Guissona, an industrial and financial conglomerate
originally created as an agricultural marketing cooperative that distributes and commercializes the products of the area in its own chain stores.
depicting total population registered in Guissona in different years since 1497:
town of Iesso dating back to the early Iron Age
(8th-9th century BC
). Iesso was located in the Northern area of the present town (Plaça del Vell Pla). The coinage minted by the Iberian settlement, of which a few examples are found within the Iberian coin collection of the British Museum, include an unidentified Male head, to the right and to left a club and an inscription. The reverse depicts a Horseman with a palm to the right and an Iberian inscription reading ieso below. These date from the late 2nd to the early 1st century BC
The Romans
conquered Iesso to transform it into a municipality
. The town is mentioned by the Roman authors Pliny the Elder
and Ptolemy
. During that period it was built a defensive wall that surrounded a more extensive surface than the present historic center. The remains of the Roman period are numerous, notably, the Roman thermae
of the city. The archeological site includes the water supply of the actual Medieval enclosure, the wells of the public fountain, a number of headstones (e.g., the gravestone of Servilla Praepusa (2nd-3rd century AD
), a sculpture of a Roman horseman, and the Necropolis
located in the area of Cal Mines.
Guissona probably housed the episcopal see
until it was moved to La Seu d'Urgell
as a consequence of the Muslin invasion
of the area. In 975 AD the Christian Borrell II, Count of Barcelona
conquered the town, although the Caliphate of Córdoba
would conquer it back in 1015.
In 1072, the Count Ermengol IV of Urgell
recovered the town and started the construction of a Romanesque
church named Església de Santa Maria de Guissona (Church of Saint Mary of Guissona). Several centuries later, the church would be knocked down to build the new church. The construction of the church extended along the 17th and 18th centuries, the opening ceremony was in 1800. The final work would be a mixture of different phases of Baroque
(altars, organ
, choir stalls) and Neoclassical
styles. During the Spanish Civil War
the organ and all the retable
s were destroyed.
In 1505 started the construction of Obra de Fluvià (or alternatively called Obra de santa Llúcia) in a estate previously acquired by the Bishop of Urgell, a building planned to be a residence for the Bishop. In 1514 the works were interrupted. Its remains are located a kilometer away in the Northeast, nearby the confluence between the Fluvià
River and its tributary the Sió River. The remaining architectonic elements were made in a late Gothic
style. The building was constructed on a squared floor plan
with a a central courtyard
. The Diocese
of Urgell also founded an Augustinian
monastery, transformed into a secular collegiate church
in the 15th century.
On 12 June 1837, there was a battle near the town fought by Carlist forces against the Liberals during the First Carlist War
. The Carlist army commanded by the Infante Sebastian of Portugal and Spain
was defeated by the Baron of Meer, General in Chief of the Military region of Catalonia. The Carlist army had previously left Navarre
with the Carlist pretender of the crown Carlos María Isidro de Borbón (the Royal Expedition).
(Catalan
: Pere Fages i Beleta) (1734–1794), nicknamed El Oso (The Bear): soldier, explorer and the second military Governor of California Nueva (later known as Alta California
) from 1770 to 1774, and Governor of Las Californias
from 1782 to 1791.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
located in the North of the comarca (county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
) of Segarra
Segarra
Segarra is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain, situated on a high plain. Historically, the name referred to a larger area than the current comarca. It has a continental climate, with cold winters and hot summers, and between 350 and 450 mm of rainfall per year. It is a grain-growing region, with some...
, in the province of Lleida
Lleida
Lleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. With 6,145 inhabitants (2010 census) Guissona (5,170 inhabitants in 2010) is the principal municipality in the Northern half of Segarra and the second most populated in the county after Cervera
Cervera
Cervera is the capital of the comarca of Segarra, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. The title Compte de Cervera is a courtesy title, formerly part of the Crown of Aragon, that has been revived for Felipe, Prince of Asturias....
(9,328 inhabitants in 2009). In addition to the populated place
Populated place
A populated place is a place or area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population referenced with geographic coordinates...
of Guissona, the municipality integrates the smaller place of Guarda-si-venes (31 inhabitants in 2007.)
In the last half century the town has experienced an important economic development mainly due to meat production and the creation of a meat packing industry
Meat packing industry
The meat packing industry handles the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock...
. Such development has run parallel to a fast demographic growth, especially intensified during the last decade (from 3,060 inhabitants in 1998 to 6,145 in 2010). As a consequence, the municipality accounts for the highest percentage of immigrant population registered in the whole province.
Economy
The economy of Guissona is based on farming (plant crops, animal husbandryAnimal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....
) and food processing
Food processing
Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry...
industry. In Guissona is based Grup Alimentari Guissona, an industrial and financial conglomerate
Conglomerate (company)
A conglomerate is a combination of two or more corporations engaged in entirely different businesses that fall under one corporate structure , usually involving a parent company and several subsidiaries. Often, a conglomerate is a multi-industry company...
originally created as an agricultural marketing cooperative that distributes and commercializes the products of the area in its own chain stores.
Demographics
Bar chartBar chart
A bar chart or bar graph is a chart with rectangular bars with lengths proportional to the values that they represent. The bars can be plotted vertically or horizontally....
depicting total population registered in Guissona in different years since 1497:
History
The first settlement known is the IberianIberians
The Iberians were a set of peoples that Greek and Roman sources identified with that name in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian peninsula at least from the 6th century BC...
town of Iesso dating back to the early Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
(8th-9th century BC
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
). Iesso was located in the Northern area of the present town (Plaça del Vell Pla). The coinage minted by the Iberian settlement, of which a few examples are found within the Iberian coin collection of the British Museum, include an unidentified Male head, to the right and to left a club and an inscription. The reverse depicts a Horseman with a palm to the right and an Iberian inscription reading ieso below. These date from the late 2nd to the early 1st century BC
The Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
conquered Iesso to transform it into a municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
. The town is mentioned by the Roman authors Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
and Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
. During that period it was built a defensive wall that surrounded a more extensive surface than the present historic center. The remains of the Roman period are numerous, notably, the Roman thermae
Thermae
In ancient Rome, thermae and balnea were facilities for bathing...
of the city. The archeological site includes the water supply of the actual Medieval enclosure, the wells of the public fountain, a number of headstones (e.g., the gravestone of Servilla Praepusa (2nd-3rd century AD
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
), a sculpture of a Roman horseman, and the Necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
located in the area of Cal Mines.
Guissona probably housed the episcopal see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
until it was moved to La Seu d'Urgell
La Seu d'Urgell
La Seu d'Urgell is a town located in the Catalan Pyrenees in Spain. La Seu d'Urgell is also the capital of the comarca Alt Urgell, head of the judicial district of la Seu d'Urgell and the seat of Bishop of Urgell, one of the Andorra co-princes...
as a consequence of the Muslin invasion
Umayyad conquest of Hispania
The Umayyad conquest of Hispania is the initial Islamic Ummayad Caliphate's conquest, between 711 and 718, of the Christian Visigothic Kingdom of Hispania, centered in the Iberian Peninsula, which was known to them under the Arabic name al-Andalus....
of the area. In 975 AD the Christian Borrell II, Count of Barcelona
Borrell II, Count of Barcelona
Borrell II was Count of Barcelona, Girona, and Ausona from 945 and Count of Urgell from 948.Borrell is first seen acting as count during the reign of his father Marquis Sunyer in 945 at the consecration of the nunnery church of Sant Pere de les Puelles in Barcelona, and succeeded Sunyer along with...
conquered the town, although the Caliphate of Córdoba
Caliphate of Córdoba
The Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
would conquer it back in 1015.
In 1072, the Count Ermengol IV of Urgell
Ermengol IV of Urgell
Ermengol IV , called el de Gerb or Gerp, was the Count of Urgell from 1066 to his death. He was the son of Ermengol III and Clemencia, daughter of Bernard II of Bigorre....
recovered the town and started the construction of a Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
church named Església de Santa Maria de Guissona (Church of Saint Mary of Guissona). Several centuries later, the church would be knocked down to build the new church. The construction of the church extended along the 17th and 18th centuries, the opening ceremony was in 1800. The final work would be a mixture of different phases of Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
(altars, organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, choir stalls) and Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
styles. During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
the organ and all the retable
Retable
A retable is a framed altarpiece, raised slightly above the back of the altar or communion table, on which are placed the cross, ceremonial candlesticks and other ornaments....
s were destroyed.
In 1505 started the construction of Obra de Fluvià (or alternatively called Obra de santa Llúcia) in a estate previously acquired by the Bishop of Urgell, a building planned to be a residence for the Bishop. In 1514 the works were interrupted. Its remains are located a kilometer away in the Northeast, nearby the confluence between the Fluvià
Fluvià
The Fluvià is a river in Catalonia. It rises in the Serralada Transversal, passes through Olot, and flows into the Mediterranean Sea near Sant Pere Pescador.- See also :* List of rivers of Spain...
River and its tributary the Sió River. The remaining architectonic elements were made in a late Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style. The building was constructed on a squared floor plan
Floor plan
In architecture and building engineering, a floor plan, or floorplan, is a diagram, usually to scale, showing a view from above of the relationships between rooms, spaces and other physical features at one level of a structure....
with a a central courtyard
Courtyard
A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
. The Diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Urgell also founded an Augustinian
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
monastery, transformed into a secular collegiate church
Collegiate church
In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
in the 15th century.
On 12 June 1837, there was a battle near the town fought by Carlist forces against the Liberals during the First Carlist War
First Carlist War
The First Carlist War was a civil war in Spain from 1833-1839.-Historical background:At the beginning of the 18th century, Philip V, the first Bourbon king of Spain, promulgated the Salic Law, which declared illegal the inheritance of the Spanish crown by women...
. The Carlist army commanded by the Infante Sebastian of Portugal and Spain
Infante Sebastian of Portugal and Spain
Sebastian Gabriel de Borbon y de Braganza, Infante of Portugal and Spain, was a royal of the 19th century, progenitor of the ducal lines of Hernani, Ansola, Durcal and Marchena, and Carlist army commander in the First Carlist War.- Family :He was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1811 as the only child of...
was defeated by the Baron of Meer, General in Chief of the Military region of Catalonia. The Carlist army had previously left Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
with the Carlist pretender of the crown Carlos María Isidro de Borbón (the Royal Expedition).
Alumni
Pedro Fages BeletaPedro Fages
Pere Fages Beleta , nicknamed L'Ós , was a soldier, explorer, and the second Spanish military Governor of Las Californias Province of New Spain from 1770 to 1774, and the Governor of Las Californias from 1782 to 1791.-Life:...
(Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
: Pere Fages i Beleta) (1734–1794), nicknamed El Oso (The Bear): soldier, explorer and the second military Governor of California Nueva (later known as Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
) from 1770 to 1774, and Governor of Las Californias
Las Californias
The Californias, or in — - was the name given by the Spanish to their northwestern territory of New Spain, comprising the present day states of Baja California and Baja California Sur on the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico; and the present day U.S. state of California in the United States of...
from 1782 to 1791.
Main sights
- Remains of the Medieval defensive wallDefensive wallA defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
s, including one of the gates. - La Plaça Major (Town squareTown squareA town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
), a square surrounded by arcadesArcade (architecture)An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
. - Església de Santa Maria (Saint Mary's Church) with BaroqueBaroque architectureBaroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
and NeoclassicalNeoclassical architectureNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
architectonic elements. - Municipal Museum, housing a collection of artifactsArtifact (archaeology)An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
of archeological interest, potteryPotteryPottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
and art objects (paintings and sculpture.) - “Obra de Fluvià”, the ruins of the unfinished EpiscopalBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
palace built in the 16th century. Late GothicGothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style. Located in the rural-urban fringe of the town.
External links
- Guissona's Town Council's Webpage
- Regional Government Webpage with information about Guissona
- Statistic data about Guissona published by the Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya (Regional Governmental Statistical Agency)
- General information about Guissona published by in Lleida.com and sourced by the Provincial government
- Webpage of Acció per Guissona, a local cultural association
- Webpage providing information about the Strategic Plan Segarra 2020