La Quar
Encyclopedia
La Quar is a small town
and municipality
located in the comarca
of Berguedà
, in Catalonia
. The municipality consists mostly of isolated farmhouses, with a few small settlements. The traditional center of the municipality was Santa Maria de la Quar, located on an easily defended rocky outcropping, but today it has no permanent residents and the center of the municipality has become Sant Maurici de la Quar, on the main road.
. It is surrounded by peaks of around 1000 meters to the north and west, and although it is quite close —as the raven flies— to the town of Berga
, the town can only be accessed from the south. As a result, the town is relatively isolated.
The first reference to the Monastery of la Portella is from the year 1003, and it was finally abandoned in 1835. From 1838-1840, during the Carlist Wars
, the Carlist authorities moved the University of Solsona to the empty monastery for defensive reasons.
At some point a Romanesque
sculpture of Virgin and Child, known as the Mare de Déu de la Quar was discovered in the municipality. Healing properties were attributed to the Virgin, and la Quar became a local place of pilgrimage. Today, the Virgin is kept in the church of Sant Maurici, along with many crutches or wax representations of limbs given in thanks to the Virgin by those who have claimed to have been healed by her.
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 comarca
Comarques of Catalonia
This is a list of the comarques of Catalonia . A comarca is roughly equivalent to a US "county" or a UK "district". However, in the context of Catalonia, the term "county" can be a bit misleading, because in medieval Catalonia, the most important rulers were counts, notably the Counts of Barcelona...
of Berguedà
Berguedà
Berguedà is a comarca in the interior of Catalonia, Spain, lying partly in the Pyrenees and partly in Catalonia's Depressió Central.-Geography:...
, in 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...
. The municipality consists mostly of isolated farmhouses, with a few small settlements. The traditional center of the municipality was Santa Maria de la Quar, located on an easily defended rocky outcropping, but today it has no permanent residents and the center of the municipality has become Sant Maurici de la Quar, on the main road.
Geography
La Quar is located in the foothills of the PyreneesPyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
. It is surrounded by peaks of around 1000 meters to the north and west, and although it is quite close —as the raven flies— to the town of Berga
Berga
Berga is the capital of the comarca of Berguedà, in Catalonia, Spain.- History :Berga derives its name from the Bergistani, an Iberian tribe that lived in the area before the Roman conquest. The Bergistani were first subdued by Hannibal in 218 BC...
, the town can only be accessed from the south. As a result, the town is relatively isolated.
History
The ruins of the Monastery of La Portella are located within the municipality. Formerly, this monastery was quite powerful, and as a result la Quar had been quite important in spite of its low population. The town was also the seat of the important noble family of La Portella.The first reference to the Monastery of la Portella is from the year 1003, and it was finally abandoned in 1835. From 1838-1840, during the Carlist Wars
Carlist Wars
The Carlist Wars in Spain were the last major European civil wars in which contenders fought to establish their claim to a throne. Several times during the period from 1833 to 1876 the Carlists — followers of Infante Carlos and his descendants — rallied to the cry of "God, Country, and King" and...
, the Carlist authorities moved the University of Solsona to the empty monastery for defensive reasons.
At some point a Romanesque
Romanesque art
Romanesque art refers to the art of Western Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century, or later, depending on region. The preceding period is increasingly known as the Pre-Romanesque...
sculpture of Virgin and Child, known as the Mare de Déu de la Quar was discovered in the municipality. Healing properties were attributed to the Virgin, and la Quar became a local place of pilgrimage. Today, the Virgin is kept in the church of Sant Maurici, along with many crutches or wax representations of limbs given in thanks to the Virgin by those who have claimed to have been healed by her.