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14 unusual facts about Catalonia


Albert Tarantola

Albert Tarantola was a Catalan-born physicist (Barcelona, June 15, 1949 — December 6, 2009), of the University of Paris (Institut de Physique du Globe), and author of the book probabilistic formulation of inverse problems (Tarantola, 1987, 2005).

Antonio Fernández de Córdoba y Cardona

Antonio Fernández de Córdoba y Cardona was born in Bellpuig, Catalonia, the son of Fernando Folch de Cardona Anglesola y Requesens, 2nd Duke of Soma, 2nd count of Oliveto, 3rd count of Palamós, 3rd count of Trivento, 3rd count of Avellino, 6th barón of Bellpuig, Calonge, Liñola and Uxafavá, and Great Admiral of Naples.

Battle of Torroella

The previous days the enemies attempted with no success to force the fording at Verges, and then moved to Ullà and Torroella de Montgri.

Catalan Revolt

Pau Claris, head of the Generalitat of Catalonia, turned the social unrest of the Catalans into a political cause and proclaimed a Catalan Republic.

Gabriel of Lencastre, 7th Duke of Aveiro

While he lived in Spain, King Charles II granted him the title of Duke of Baños, and he served in the Spanish army, both in the Catalonia and in the Flanders campaigns.

Jordanus

Jordanus Catalani (f. 1321-1330) was a Catalan (or else an Occitan speaking French of Catalan origin) Dominican missionary and explorer in Asia known for his Mirabilia describing the marvels of the East.

Juan de Palafox y Mendoza

Palafox also raised twelve companies of militia to protect the colony against the spread of revolution from Portugal and Catalonia.

La Capella Reial de Catalunya

La Capella Reial de Catalunya was created in Barcelona in 1987 by its conductor Jordi Savall as a group of soloist singers whose aim is to make the repertoire of Catalan historical music and, by extension, that of Spanish and other music widely known throughout the world.

La Selva de Mar

La Selva de Mar is a municipality in the comarca of the Alt Empordà in Catalonia, Spain.

Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley

Tracks link the valley to Roussillon to the east, the Languedoc to the north, and Catalonia to the south; tracks paved with flat stones connect the valley to the centre of Andorra.

Masvidal

Masvidal is a surname of Catalan origin.

Mothers and Sons

All take place in contemporary Ireland, except that the last and longest, "A Long Winter", takes place in Catalonia perhaps twenty years after the Spanish Civil War.

Tamariu

The waters around this area are amongst the purest on the coast and there are many other beautiful beaches within easy reach including those at Llafranc, Aigua Blava, Fornells and Calella de Palafrugell.

Torneo de las Naciones

The Torneo de las Naciones (Nations Tournament) is a friendly basketball tournament held in Spain co-organized by the basketball federations of Basque Country, Catalonia and Galicia.


1999 Rink Hockey World Championship

The 1999 Rink Hockey World Championship was the 34th edition of the Rink Hockey World Championship, held between 4 and 12 June 1999, in Reus, Catalonia, Spain.

Albera

Albera Massif, a mountain range in the north of Catalonia, between France and Spain

Alforja

Alforja, town in the Province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain.

Ángel Pedraza

In the 1986 European Cup Final he was one of four Barça players – the others were José Ramón Alexanko, Pichi Alonso and Marcos – to have their penalty shootout attempts saved by FC Steaua Bucureşti goalkeeper Helmuth Duckadam, as the Catalans lost the decisive match in Seville (0–0 after 120 minutes).

Assemblea Nacional Catalana

The Assemblea Nacional Catalana (Catalan National Assembly, ANC) is an organization that seeks the political independence of Catalonia from Spain through the establishment of a free and democratic State.

Balearic cuisine

It can be regarded as part of a wider Catalan cuisine, since it shares many dishes and ingredients with Catalonia and the Valencian Community.

Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer

On June 14, a 35,000-strong Spanish army defeated Schérer's 25,000 men in battle at Bàscara in Catalonia province in Spain.

Battle of Torroella

The viceroy of Catalonia, don Juan Manuel Lopez Pacheco Acuña Giron y Portocarrero, marquis of Villena duke of Escalona, who was also the Captain General of the army, had deployed along the banks of the river Ter practically all the marching troops he could muster to oppose the strong French expeditionary corps, led by the French Marshal duke of Noailles, who wanted to capture Gerona.

C300

Canal 300, a public television channel operated by Televisió de Catalunya in Catalonia

Cant del Barça

On 28 November 1998, during the clubs’ Centenary, it was performed by Catalan singer-songwriter Joan Manuel Serrat at the end of a festival at the Camp Nou.

Carlos Latre

His first TV programme is 1999 TV3 show "Xou com sou" and he became very popular thanks to his impersonations of La Pitonisa Lola, Dinio, Pepe Navarro, Boris Izaguirre, la Duquesa de Alba, Rosa López, Tamara, Jorge Berrocal, Joaquín Sabina, Jesús Quintero, Carmen Vijande, Toni Genil, Leonardo Dantés, José Manuel Parada or la Pantoja de Puerto Rico.

Carrer de Lluís Companys, Lleida

Carrer de Lluís Companys is a partly pedestrianised street in the Instituts-Templers district of Lleida (Catalonia, Spain).

Catalan independence

On 23 January 2013, the Parliament of Catalonia adopted by 85 favourable votes, 41 against, and 2 abstentions the Declaration of Sovereignty and of the Right to Decide of the Catalan People.

Catalan independence referendums, 2009–11

The Catalan independence referendums were a series of non-binding and unofficial referendums, "popular votes" (consultes populars), held in municipalities around Catalonia, in which voters indicate whether they support Catalan independence from Spain.

Citizens – Party of the Citizenry

Ciutadans was formed in Catalonia in July 2006 in response to the call made in a manifesto by a group of Catalan personalities (among them Albert Boadella, Félix de Azúa and Arcadi Espada), in which they called for a new political force to "address the real problems faced by the general public".

Cordon sanitaire

In Spain, groups who are perceived as opposed to Catalan or Basque nationalism, such as the People's Party, have been sometimes excluded from any government coalition in Catalonia and the Basque Country.

Elna

Elne, a town in Catalonia known as Elna in Catalan

Entença

House of Entença, ancient dynasty of the Crown of Aragon and Catalonia

First Romanesque

Catalan architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch suggested that what was formerly considered the late form of pre-Romanesque architecture in Catalonia bore features of Romanesque and thus classified it as First Romanesque (primer romànic).

Gavet

Gavet de la Conca, a village in the province of Lleida and autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain

Guillem Agel i Barrière

Guillem Agel i Barrière was a leading Catalan printer and publisher born in Thuir, Roussillon, France (formerly North Catalonia) in 1753.

Héctor Simón

Héctor Simón Escudero (born 13 March 1984 in Llançà, Girona, Catalonia) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Real Oviedo as an attacking midfielder.

IAAC

Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, international centre of education and research in Catalonia

Jordi Ausàs i Coll

Jordi Ausàs i Coll (born 3 March 1960 in La Seu d'Urgell, Alt Urgell) Is a Catalan politician, Mayor of La Seu d'Urgell from 2003 to 2008 and Minister of Governance and Public Administration of Catalonia in the José Montilla government (2008–2010).

José Aurelio Gay

He scored twice in 17 matches during his debut season, in which the Catalans were relegated, but eventually established himself in the club's starting XI, spending one season in the second level and another in the first; in 1990–91, his last year, he was the team's second-highest league goalscorer with five goals – only behind German Wolfram Wuttke – as he helped the team maintain its top flight status.

José María Gironella

José María Gironella Pous (b. 31 December 1917, Darnius d. 3 January 2003, Arenys de Mar) was a Catalan and Spanish author best known for his fictional work The Cypresses Believe in God (Los cipreses creen en Dios) published in Spain in 1953, and translated into English by Harriet De Onís in 1955.

Maçanet-Massanes railway station

Maçanet-Massanes (formerly Empalme) is a railway station propierty of adif (Spanish public company) and located in the municipality of Maçanet de la Selva (Selva, Catalonia), far from downtown.

Manresa House, Dublin

They renamed it Manresa House after Manresa in Catalonia, Spain, where St Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits had many spiritual experiences that contributed to formulation of his Spiritual Exercises.

Manuel Serra Moret

In the last session of the Parliament of Catalonia (1 October 1938) before its dissolution after the Spanish Republic losing the Spanish Civil War, he was elected second vice-president of the Parliament.

Margarita Xirgu

Margarita Xirgu, also Margarida Xirgu (18 June 1888, Molins de Rei, (Catalonia, Spain) – 25 April 1969, Montevideo, (Uruguay)) was a Catalan stage actress, who was greatly popular throughout her country and Latin America.

Maricel

Maricel Museum, a museum located in the centre of Sitges, Catalonia, Spain

Museu Tèxtil i d'Indumentària

The story of Maria Brillas, as told by her dresses, created by Pedro Rodríguez, is part of Barcelona's history and belongs to the cultural heritage of Catalonia and Spain.

Parque de España

The cultural centre, on the north of the complex, was in part projected by the Catalan urbanist Oriol Bohigas, and includes a 500-seat theatre, a conference room, three art exhibition galleries and a video library.

Peace and Truce of God

It became a convention among the seigneurs of Roussillon and Catalonia and was first proclaimed in 1027 at the Council of Toulouges – a town of Roussillon – which was presided over by Oliba, bishop of Vic, the first notable patron of the movement.

Pere Puig Subinyà

Moreover he represented President Josep Irla i Bosch to see the possibilities of creation of a unity organism of the inside Catalan political forces, contrary to Francisco Franco´s regime, and to connect them with the government of Catalonia.

Ponent

It is located in the westernmost part of Catalonia, around the city of Lleida, its administrative capital and most populated municipality, and will be formed by five existing comarques: Segrià, Noguera, Pla d'Urgell, Urgell, Segarra and Garrigues.

Rafael Casanova

One of the traditional acts of the National Day of Catalonia is that carried out by the Catalan institutions, most of the Catalan political forces, and representatives of major cultural, social and sports associations from Catalonia like FC Barcelona, who present wreaths and floral decorations at the foot of the monument.

RLEF Euro Med Challenge

All three of these teams, however, were promoted to the European Cup in 2009, so three new teams were selected for the 2009 installment: Morocco, Belgium and Catalonia.

Secessionism in Western Australia

Western Australia was grouped with Scotland, Wales, the Basque Country, and Catalonia as "places seeking maximum fiscal and policy autonomy from their national capitals" in an October 2013 opinion piece in The New York Times.

Selectividad

#Galician, Catalan or Valencian and Basque are also common subjects in Galicia; Catalonia and Balearic Islands, Valencia; and the Basque Country, respectively.

Spanish Socialist Workers' Party

Some barons were Pasqual Maragall (Catalonia), who didn't run for re-election in 2006; Juan Carlos Rodríguez Ibarra (Extremadura), who didn't run for re-election in 2007; Manuel Chaves (Andalucia), who renounced Andalucia's presidency in 2009 to assume Third Vice Presidency of the Spanish Government; José Montilla (Catalonia), now opposition leader.

Superlópez

Famous buildings and monuments in Barcelona are often portrayed in detail, as well as those in other cities of Catalonia (Camprodon), Europe (Andorra, Grenoble, Bulgaria) or Japan.

Tarragona International Dixieland Festival

On several occasions, Tarragona has worked with the Jazz Festival of Terrassa, in Catalonia, and since 2006 it has been working with the Dixieland Festival of Cantanhede in Portugal and with the Catalan Trapezi Circus Fair from Reus.

The Sadie Family

Eben Sadie is also involved with Spanish wine producer Terroir Al Límit in the village of Torroja in Priorat, Catalonia.

Valles

Vallès, a region in Catalonia, Spain, comprising the comarques of Vallès Occidental and Vallès Oriental

Veremonda

The opera was first performed at the Nuovo Teatro del Palazzo Reale in Naples on 21 December 1652, to celebrate the Spanish capture of Barcelona, which put an end to the revolt of Catalonia (Naples was also a Spanish possession).