Santa Maria de Merlès
Encyclopedia
Santa Maria de Merlès is a municipality
in Catalonia
. It is officially within the comarca
of Berguedà
, but traditionally, it is a part of the natural comarca of Lluçanès
. The municipality is located on the riera, or stream, of Merlès
, from which the town takes its name. It is located about 14 kilometers east of Puig-reig
, and 8 kilometers west of Prats de Lluçanès
, the nearest market town.
The town is divided into two parishes, Santa Maria (in the Bishopric of Solsona
) to the west of the riera, and Sant Martí (in the Bishopric of Vic
) to the east.
An animosity developed between the two families, and in order to anger the patriarch of the Cortada household, the head of the Vilalta family sat one Sunday in the pew reserved for his rival. The patriarch of the Cortadas was so offended that he left church, only to return with a firearm. He killed the head of the Vilaltas in the church and, as a result, the building had to be torn down and rebuilt on the other side of the main road. Later, the patriarch of the Cortadas felt remorse for what he had done, and as penitence erected a chapel dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene
on his property, beside the main road.
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...
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...
. It is officially within 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:...
, but traditionally, it is a part of the natural comarca of Lluçanès
Lluçanès
Lluçanès is a natural comarca, transitioning between the Plain of Vic and Berguedà, in the pre-Pyrenees. Although not an officially recognized comarca of Catalonia, it has a strong historical, natural and social personality.-Corresponding Municipalities:...
. The municipality is located on the riera, or stream, of Merlès
Merles
Merles is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France.-References:*...
, from which the town takes its name. It is located about 14 kilometers east of Puig-reig
Puig-reig
Puig-reig is a municipality and town in the comarca of Berguedà, Catalonia. As of 2009, the town had a population of 4,403.Situated atop a hill overlooking the Llobregat River, its name means "Royal Hill" in old Catalan. The town includes two medieval fortresses, as well as numerous examples of...
, and 8 kilometers west of Prats de Lluçanès
Prats de Lluçanès
Prats de Lluçanès is a municipality in the comarca of Osona inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated in the west of the comarca, on a plain between the Lluçanès and Merlès rivers,and is served by the C-154 road between Vic and Gironella.- Demography :...
, the nearest market town.
The town is divided into two parishes, Santa Maria (in the Bishopric of Solsona
Solsona
Solsona can refer to:*Solsona, Lleida, a town in Catalonia, capital of the comarca of Solsonès;*Solsona, Ilocos Norte, a city in the Philippines...
) to the west of the riera, and Sant Martí (in the Bishopric of Vic
Vic
Vic is the capital of the comarca of Osona, in the Barcelona Province, Catalonia, Spain. Vic's location, only 69 km far from Barcelona and 60 km from Girona, has made it one of the most important towns in central Catalonia.-History:...
) to the east.
Folklore
The town was traditionally dominated by two important families, the Cortadas and the Vilaltas. Their monumental houses still stand in the municipality. A popular legend offers an explanation for the reconstruction of the Church of Sta. Maria in the 17th century.An animosity developed between the two families, and in order to anger the patriarch of the Cortada household, the head of the Vilalta family sat one Sunday in the pew reserved for his rival. The patriarch of the Cortadas was so offended that he left church, only to return with a firearm. He killed the head of the Vilaltas in the church and, as a result, the building had to be torn down and rebuilt on the other side of the main road. Later, the patriarch of the Cortadas felt remorse for what he had done, and as penitence erected a chapel dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
on his property, beside the main road.
Town festivals
- Festa Major, 15 August
- Festival of Sant Pau de Pinós, Sunday nearest to 8 September
- Festival of Sant Martí, 11 November
Sites of interest
- RomanesqueRomanesque architectureRomanesque 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,...
bridgeBridgeA bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
of Sant Martí - Church of Sant Pau de Pinós, begun in the 12th century
- Church of Sant Miquel de Terradelles, from the 12th century
- 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...
church of Santa Maria de Merlès, from the 17th century - Ruins of the Castle of Merlès, from the 12th century
- Chapel of Santa Maria Magdalena, with zoomorphic carvings
- Camadoca, a wildlife center dedicated to the native species of the Riera de Merlès. Open to visitors.