Verdú is a village in the county of Urgell, in the province of Lleida

Lleida (province)

thumb|250px|Monastery of [[Santa Maria de Bellpuig de les Avellanes]].Lleida is a province of north-eastern Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Catalonia. It is bordered by the provinces of Girona, Barcelona, Tarragona, Zaragoza and Huesca and the countries of France and...

, 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...

that soon loaded the Segarra-Garrigues water channel.

The township covers 3600 hectares. The landscape consists of smooth hills with valleys and plains intercalts soft cultivated of grain, vineyards, olive, and almond trees. Small forests of pine and holm oak groves are scattered throughout the term. The local agricultural economy is based mainly on cultivation of wine.

Today Verdú is known for wine, black pottery, Castle and Church of Santa Maria, St. Peter Claver, and recently by the Museum of Toys and Automata Manel Mayoral.

History

The history of Verdú is marked by its membership the Poblet monastery for six centuries (from 1227 until 1835). The population before the flood of 1184, was located Cercavins the river valley, beside a fountain and around the church of Santa Magdalena. After the flood that devastated three quarters of the old town, the lady and owner of Verdu, Berengaria of Cervera, made the villagers agree to move their houses above the floodplain, around the castle which had begun to be built a century before. In return, the villagers got walls and portals built surrounding the new town. Berengaria's son, Guillem of Cervera, sold the villa in Poblet. Under the auspices of the monastery, Verdú enjoyed many privileges and advantages, which made it succeed more than the surrounding cities, for many centuries. Evidence of this prosperity include the Castle, the Parish Church, and the whole streets and stately homes.

Trade Fair

Verdú is known historically for its black pottery and especially for its livestock fairs, which have been held for six hundred years thanks to the influence of Poblet and have become the most important in Catalonia. In 1378, King Pedro III el Ceremoniós granted the privilege of dedicating a fair to St. Mark, April 15, and 10 days. Later, King Ferdinand the Catholic forbade that they hold no other neighboring towns in the days before, because not make competition Verdú. The fair ends in 1975 due to the mechanization of the field. The importance of the fair can be seen even today because it influenced the planning of the village: with very wide streets where there were the paintings of cattle and a large square porch where there was market. Also in the architecture of the houses, stables with huge rooms, food and many large rooms on the second floor and attic to accommodate the fair visitors.

Wine

In Verdú there are several wineries that produce and sell wine within the DO Costers del Segre and D.O. Catalonia. Verdu is also within the D.O. Cava. The climate of contrasting temperature and low rainfall makes it go around and taste wines of intense color and highly prized awards worldwide. Also whites, both young and matured in barrels, they have great aromas and slow acceptance. Around October 12 every year is celebrated the Feast of Harvest and Wine Show with Wine and Gourmet, where you can buy directly from all wineries and the area of Verdu. The wineries from Verdu are : Carviresa , Cal Pardet Celler Cercavins.

Ceramics and Pottery

Since the ceramic tradition in the Iberian starts Verdú (settlement of Estinclells ). Already in medieval kilns are located both within the walls of the town, the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. But in 1470 when it began to make pottery black. Verdú in the eighteenth century had thirty pottery kilns. There was a guild of potters to regulate the profession and help if necessary. From the south of France to Soria arrived the customers of farmers and artisans who drunk fresh water of the pitchers of Verdun. Today it retains ceramic production with four furnaces and four black ceramic kilns of other types of ceramics. Each year, first weekend of June they celebrate the Feast of Pitche and Fair Ceramic of Verdu.

Architecture

Verdu Castle is a monumental piece of architecture. Its crowned of cylindrical tower 25 meter tall and 25 meter diameter, constructed in 1080. Two rooms are from romance style of the eleventh century and is the only Catalan Gothic castle that preserves a three large naves superimposed on each other. The third gothic room is Copons Abbot, who recently restored is a jewel of Catalan civil gothic. Around the courtyard there is a gallery with a Renaissance stone steps along the tower. Downstairs basement-involved commissioned by the Cooperative of Verdun, the architect Cesar Martinell, a pupil of Antoni Gaudí. Leaving sample of modernist architecture.

The church of Santa Maria. The present church can be dated to the late thirteenth century, the austerity of the Cistercian Order of the self. Consisted of a single nave, but the population growth led to the gradual enlargement. The image that presides over the altar stone is the fifteenth century and was made by Andreu Pi. This also led out the door of the sacristy. The work of the altarpiece made the painter Jaume Ferrer, one of the most famous painters in Lleida at this time. Today we see the altar in the Episcopal Museum of Vic. The church in accordance with the needs of the population was expanded, becomes a church with three naves, the central covered with a slightly pointed barrel vault and the two sides vault, giving testimony rating period in which they performed. In a subsequent period is the size of the Purisima, Baroque, performed by Agusti Pujol in 1623, had already made other, especially in Barcelona. Highlights also the apse of the right aisle of the church dedicated to Sant Flavia. The Civil War did the altarpiece disappear. On the left is the tombstone consecration of the church, made in 1586 by the archbishop of Tarragona Joan Teres, son of the town. Highlights also the image of St. Christ, the image most valuable and most revered in Verdú. Dated between the late thirteenth and early fourteenth century, the population of Verdu implores time droughts and epidemics. You must also make mention of the actual paintings that decorate the altar, the painter Jaume Minguell, made the years 1955-1956. The latest work of beautification that has taken place in the church has been the placement of windows in the summer of 2004, dedicated to Sant Flavia, St. Peter Claver and St. Hippolytus. The rose window is intended as a tribute to the town of Verdu.

The castle, church and other medieval village be visited by guided tour concert at Municipal Tourist Office, phone +34 973 347 216 or www.verdu.cat.

St. Peter Claver

St. Peter Claver was born in 1580 in Verdu, but soon leaving Barcelona to study the arts and literature in 1602 and joined the Jesuits. He went to study in Girona and Mallorca. He returned to Barcelona where he studies theology and soon went to New Granada as a missionary. Ordained priest in the mission to Colombia in 1616, performing there until his death an apostolate dedicated to making the vote of black slaves was himself "a slave of slaves forever." They say that he baptized more than three hundred thousand. Exhausted, died in Cartagena de Indias on 8 September 1654. He was canonized by Leo XIII in 1888, later the same Pope declared him patron of missions among blacks. Was proclaimed patron of the Republic of Colombia. Today you can visit the shrine dedicated to Saint Peter Claver, birthplace of the Jesuit.

The Museum of Toys and Automata

Automaton and Toy Museum, a world of its most important themes, explains in a thousand pieces spectacular building. The museum, located at number 23 in the Plaza Mayor, is the result of the initiative and can expose Manel Mayoral fairground attractions, bike, football, tin toys, pedal cars, robots, Teatrino, games, scooters , posters ...