Vallbona de les Monges
Encyclopedia
Vallbona de les Monges (ˌbaʎˈβɔnə ðə ɫəz ˈmɔɲʒəs) is a municipality
in the comarca
of the Urgell
in Catalonia
, Spain
. It is located at the southern end of the comarca, north of the Serra del Tallat
, Catalan Pre-Coastal Range
, where many wind turbines have been installed.
The town has the most important convent
in Catalonia, the Monastery of Santa Maria de Vallbona
, belonging to the Order of Cistercians. The main income is derived from wine
and olive oil
production, as well as some cattle
. There is a little tourism, but not enough to significantly lift the economy of the area.
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 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 the Urgell
Urgell (comarca)
Modern-day Urgell is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain, forming only a portion of the region historically known as Urgell, one of the Catalan counties.-Municipalities:Populations are for 2001.*Agramunt - pop. 4,759*Anglesola - pop. 1,219...
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...
, 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...
. It is located at the southern end of the comarca, north of the Serra del Tallat
Serra del Tallat
Serra del Tallat is a mountain range of the Catalan Central Depression, Catalonia, Spain. It has an altitude of 802 metres above sea level.Thhe highest summit of the Serra del Tallat is the Tossal Gros de Vallbona; it is located between the municipal limits of Espluga de Francolí, Conca de Barberà...
, Catalan Pre-Coastal Range
Catalan Pre-Coastal Range
The Catalan Pre-Coastal Range is a system of mountain ranges running parallel to the Mediterranean Sea coast in Catalonia. It is part of the Catalan Mediterranean System. Its main axis runs between the Catalan Transversal Range and the Serra de l'Espina, which connects with the Ports de...
, where many wind turbines have been installed.
The town has the most important convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
in Catalonia, the Monastery of Santa Maria de Vallbona
Monastery of Santa María de Vallbona
The Monastery of Santa Maria de Vallbona is a Cistercian abbey in Vallbona de les Monges, in the comarca of Urgell, Catalonia, Spain. Founded in the early 12th century, it is one of the most important monasteries in Catalonia; its church represents an example of transition between Romanesque and...
, belonging to the Order of Cistercians. The main income is derived from 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...
and olive oil
Olive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
production, as well as some cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
. There is a little tourism, but not enough to significantly lift the economy of the area.