Manresa
Encyclopedia
Manresa is the capital of the Comarca
of Bages
, located in the geographic centre of Catalonia
, Spain
, and crossed by the river Cardener
. It is an industrial area with textile
, metallurgical
, and glass
industries. The houses of Manresa are arranged around the basilica of Santa María de la Seo. Saint Ignatius of Loyola stopped to pray in the town on his way back from Montserrat
in 1522. He also read in solitude in the town for a year, which contributed to the formulation of his Spiritual Exercises
. As such, the town is a place of pilgrimage for Catholics.
It is believed the comarcal name "Bages" comes from a corruption of the Latin "Bacchus" due to the extensive production of wine
in the area. The wine was grown mainly in terraced vineyards, and many of these old terraces can be seen today. Wine ceased to be the main product of the area as a consequence of phylloxera
, but is still a very important part of the Manresa/Bages economy.
During the Napoleonic invasion
, the volunteer troops of Manresa (sometent in Catalan) defeated the French troops in the Bruch Pass (June 1808), but the retreating French burned and demolished much of the town. After the expulsion of Napoleon's troops, Manresans rebuilt the town using the rubble.
In the 12th century Manresa was said to have contained 500 Jewish
families, most of whom lived in a narrow lane called "Grau dels Jueus," near the town hall; their cemetery, still called "Fossana dels Jueus," was outside the city. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Jews there were engaged in manufacturing, trading (including slaves
), money-lending (at the rate of 20 per cent, the usual interest at that time), and in the cultivation of their vineyard
s and estates.
The hostility of the Christians
towards the Jews, which prevailed throughout Catalonia, was also manifested in Manresa. In 1325 the Christian inhabitants of the town tried to prevent the Jews from baking their Passover
bread, so that the latter were obliged to appeal to the King for protection. The Jews in Manresa did not escape the general persecution of 1391, and many of them professed
to accept Christianity.
After 1414 comparatively few Jews remained in the town, and in 1492 they sold their property for whatever they could get, and left the country. At the beginning of the 15th century Manresa had 30,000 inhabitants; three centuries later it contained barely one-fifth of that number. Several members of the Zabarra (Sabara) family lived in Manresa. The town is not mentioned in the "Shebeṭ Yehudah."
is held the first complete weekend in November every year. It is the main meeting point and trade fair of the mediterranean world, folk and roots artists with distributers, organisers, agencies, labels, export offices, instrument makers and dealers, journalists and other professionals.
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 Bages
Bages
Bages is a comarca in the center of Catalonia, Spain. It includes two subcomarques, el Moianès and el Lluçanès.Industries include the mining of potash at Súria and Sallent, and the manufacture of textiles along the rivers Llobregat and Cardener...
, located in the geographic centre of 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...
, and crossed by the river Cardener
Cardener
The Cardener is a river in Catalonia, Spain. Its source is at Les Fonts del Cardener in themunicipality of La Coma i la Pedra at an elevation of 1050 m. It drains a basin of1500 km²...
. It is an industrial area with textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
, metallurgical
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
, and glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
industries. The houses of Manresa are arranged around the basilica of Santa María de la Seo. Saint Ignatius of Loyola stopped to pray in the town on his way back from Montserrat
Montserrat (mountain)
Montserrat is a multi-peaked mountain located near the city of Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. It is part of the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range. The main peaks are Sant Jeroni , Montgrós and Miranda de les Agulles...
in 1522. He also read in solitude in the town for a year, which contributed to the formulation of his Spiritual Exercises
Spiritual Exercises
Spiritual exercises may refer to:* Any spiritual practice dedicated towards increasing one's personal spirituality* Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, a book of spiritual practices of the Roman Catholic Jesuit order...
. As such, the town is a place of pilgrimage for Catholics.
It is believed the comarcal name "Bages" comes from a corruption of the Latin "Bacchus" due to the extensive production of wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
in the area. The wine was grown mainly in terraced vineyards, and many of these old terraces can be seen today. Wine ceased to be the main product of the area as a consequence of phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
, but is still a very important part of the Manresa/Bages economy.
During the Napoleonic invasion
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
, the volunteer troops of Manresa (sometent in Catalan) defeated the French troops in the Bruch Pass (June 1808), but the retreating French burned and demolished much of the town. After the expulsion of Napoleon's troops, Manresans rebuilt the town using the rubble.
Jewish history
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
families, most of whom lived in a narrow lane called "Grau dels Jueus," near the town hall; their cemetery, still called "Fossana dels Jueus," was outside the city. In the 13th and 14th centuries the Jews there were engaged in manufacturing, trading (including slaves
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
), money-lending (at the rate of 20 per cent, the usual interest at that time), and in the cultivation of their vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s and estates.
The hostility of the Christians
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
towards the Jews, which prevailed throughout Catalonia, was also manifested in Manresa. In 1325 the Christian inhabitants of the town tried to prevent the Jews from baking their Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
bread, so that the latter were obliged to appeal to the King for protection. The Jews in Manresa did not escape the general persecution of 1391, and many of them professed
Crypto-Judaism
Crypto-Judaism is the secret adherence to Judaism while publicly professing to be of another faith; practitioners are referred to as "crypto-Jews"...
to accept Christianity.
After 1414 comparatively few Jews remained in the town, and in 1492 they sold their property for whatever they could get, and left the country. At the beginning of the 15th century Manresa had 30,000 inhabitants; three centuries later it contained barely one-fifth of that number. Several members of the Zabarra (Sabara) family lived in Manresa. The town is not mentioned in the "Shebeṭ Yehudah."
Main sights
Three bridges cross the Cardener River. The 14th-century basilica of Santa Maria de la Seu stands on a rock above the oldest bridge.La Seu is the principal monument of Manresa. The church we can see today was designed by Berenguer de Montagut who also designed the Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona.The architectural style is characteristic of Catalan Gothic. The work began in 1325, but the church was not finished until the end of the 15th century.. The municipal museum is housed in the cloisters of the 17th-century church of Sant Ignasi. Below this church is the cave in which St. Ignatius Loyola is said to have prayed and meditated.Culture
- Manresa is home to a music conservatoire.
- Also home to the Assignia Manresa basketball team
- Won the Korac Cup 1987-1988, 1994-1995, 1995-1996, 1997-1998 and the Euroleague 1988-1989.
Places borrowing the name
- Because of the town's association with St. Ignatius, the novitiate house of the English province of the JesuitsSociety of JesusThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
is called Manresa House. Formerly in RoehamptonRoehamptonRoehampton is a district in south-west London, forming the western end of the London Borough of Wandsworth. It lies between the town of Barnes to the north, Putney to the east and Wimbledon Common to the south. The Richmond Park golf courses are west of the neighbourhood, and just south of these is...
in the LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
suburbs, it is now in BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. - SEARSOLINSEARSOLINThe Southeast Asia Rural Social Leadership Institute is one of the outreach units of the Jesuit-run Xavier University located in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines...
, the extension/outreach research center of Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan, is also called the Manresa complex. - Manresa SchoolManresa SchoolManresa School is a private, co-educational Roman Catholic school in Parañaque City, Philippines.Established in 1971, Manresa School is run by the nuns of the Congregation of the Hijas de Jesús, founded by Candida Maria de Jesus in Salamanca, Spain on 8 December 1871.The philosophies of the...
takes its name from the town of Manresa, because Saint Candida Maria de Jesus, the foundress of the congregationCongregation of the Hijas de JesúsThe Congregation of the Hijas de Jesús is a Roman Catholic Congregation founded on December 8, 1871 in Salamanca by Saint Cándida María de Jesús, together with five other women. They were assisted by Jesuit Father Miguel José Herranz...
that runs the school, is influenced by Ignatian spirituality.
Major events
The Fira Mediterrania in ManresaFira Mediterrania in Manresa
Fira Mediterrània in Manresa is a trade fair for new artistic creations inspired by Catalan and Mediterranean traditions or those from other parts of the world...
is held the first complete weekend in November every year. It is the main meeting point and trade fair of the mediterranean world, folk and roots artists with distributers, organisers, agencies, labels, export offices, instrument makers and dealers, journalists and other professionals.
Influential Documents
- In 1892 the Unió Catalanista, a confederation of Catalan centres approved the Bases de Manresa (Manresa Bases) the first draft statute of self-government for Catalonia and laid the essential conditions for a Catalan Regional Constitution.
- Bases propostions included:
- Catalan should be the sole official language in Catalonia
- Public order be under the jurisdiction of the Catalan government exclusively, which should also control finance and taxation
- Catalans only should be eligible for public office in Catalonia
- Military service ( from which the upper class could buy exemption) was to be replaced by a volunteer corps
- As prior to 1714, there should be no appeal from decisions of the Catalan high court.
- The Bases also called for the composition of a Catalan Parliament, which was to be elected by ‘all heads of family, grouped together in classes based on manual work, tehnical skill or professional careers and on property, industry and commerce, as far as possible through the corresponding guild organizations’
- The 1408 Liber Manifesti of Manresa is an influential historical document that lets us peer into Renaissance practice of slavery.
- The Liber Manifesti consistently designates slaves as distinct from other servants and provides us with basic but prior elusive figures like the total number of slaves in the town, the proportion of slaves to free people, the percentage of households who owned slaves, the proportion of women and children amongst slaves, and the market value of female, male, and child slaves.
Manresa Town Hall
- Original building dates back to the 19th century.
- Remodeling was needed due to the old building's impractical use in Modern times.
- At the end of 2004, a competition was held to remodel the building with the aim of easing its disabled circulation.
- Barcelona-based Add + Arquitectura was selected and the project was completed in in 2008.
- Add partners Manuel Bailo and Rosa Rull were responsible for the design.
- Bailo and Rull's key move was to partly demolish and extend the rear south-west wall of the town hall in order to implant a new circulation core
- The front of the building maintained its traditional structure but at the rear of the building, the elevator and staircase are encased in a "cubist cacoon".
External links
- Official website
- Manresa tourist
- Official website of The See basilica
- Guide to the city
- Fira Mediterrania in Manresa