THE REUS MODERNIST ITINERARY
The beginning of the 20th century was a period of great industrial and agricultural prosperity. It brought an economic and cultural renaissance, and Reus was one of the towns most influenced by this. With the rise of the urban bourgeoisie many buildings and private houses were constructed in the artistic style of the period – “Modernism”, or Art Nouveau as it was known in the rest of Europe. The architectural style of Lluís Domènech i Montaner influenced other Modernist buildings in the town. Some of the most important are those of Pere Caselles, Joan Rubió i Bellver, and Pere Domènech i Roura. To help you discover this architectural heritage, Reus has created the Modernist Itinerary. This pleasant stroll through the centre of the town, mainly in the shopping area, is specially signposted and each building is identified with a plaque, making it easy to see Reus’ most interesting Modernist façades.
Reus Tourist Office Tel: 902.360.200
e-mail: infoturisme@reus.net
THE IBERIAN CITADEL OF CALAFELL
In the territory irrigated by the River Ebro there are numerous vestiges of the Iberian culture.
The Iberian civilisation developed mainly along the banks of the Ebro and along the coast, an indigenous society that arose from the contact with the Greeks and Phoenician-Carthaginians.
In Calafell you can see the fully restored remains of an Iberian settlement.
ROMAN TARRACO
Tarragona is one of the privileged cities in the world to have been recognised for its heritage. On 30 November 2000 it was awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO.
Following the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, Tarraco became the capital of the administrative province of Hispania Citerior. Its importance as a Roman colony has left us with numerous vestiges, both in the capital and the surrounding area. Its buildings and museums are bursting with history.
In Tarragona you can see the Roman Circus, the Roman Amphitheatre, the City and Provincial Forums, the Tower of the Scipios, the Aqueduct/Devil’s Bridge, the Praetorium, the ruins of Plaça del Palloll and the Roman Theatre.
Information:
Tarragona Museum of History.
Tel. 977.242.220
Web: www.museutgn.com
e-mail: mht@tgna.altanet.org
Tarragona Municipal Tourism Board.
Tel: 977.250.795 – web: www.tarragonaturisme.es
CISTERCIAN MONASTERIES
The austerity of primitive Romanesque architecture and its transition to the Gothic style is evident in the Cistercian monasteries. In the 12th century a reaction against the exuberance of the Cluniac monks arose in the Cistercian order, which advocated austerity in life, liturgy and the decoration of places of worship. The architecture is characterised by the simplicity of its lines and decoration. The monasteries of Poblet and Santes Creus are the most important examples of this style.
Monastery of Poblet
Declared a World Heritage Site in 1992 by UNESCO, the history of Poblet goes back to the year 1151. The Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque style complex was built between the 12th and the 18th centuries.
Monestir de Santes Creus
The chronology of these buildings extends from the 12th to the 18th century and the styles include Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque.
EBRO DELTA
The Ebro Delta covers 320 square kilometres and is the second most important wetland area in the western Mediterranean, after the French Camargue. It has many natural habitats that are rare in the rest of Catalonia, including large saltwater or freshwater lagoons (La Tancada and L'Encanyissada, respectively), kilometres of beaches with sand dunes (Punta del Fangar), salt wastelands (La Tancada and Punta de la Banya), freshwater springs (Els Ullals), shallow bays (El Fangar or Els Alfacs), riverside woods, and fluvial islands that, together with the ecosystems created by man (rice fields and salt pans), make up a unique landscape of great natural beauty.
THE SERRA DEL MONTSANT
These mountains are in the inland county of Priorat, although their imposing peaks can be seen from any of the hills nearer the coast. The “Mountain of Peace” has sheltered the Carthusian monastery of Scala Dei at its feet since the 12th century. It reaches its maximum height at Corbatera rock (1163 m). The Serra de la Llena, between La Conca de Barberà and Las Garrigues, is a natural pass through the Montsant and the easternmost mountains of Prades.
The Serra del Montsant range is almost 20 km long, and consists of very high crags, crowned by rounded blocks of conglomerate, austere rock formations that hide, despite the apparent lack of forest, very rare plants and all types of wildlife. You have to find footpaths, caves, hermitages, and gullies to observe the flora and fauna of these distant and wild mountains.
THE PRADES MOUNTAINS
The Prades range is a mountainous area of some 260 square kilometres that rises abruptly to the north of the Camp of Tarragona plain. It covers four different counties - Baix Camp, Alt Camp, Conca de Barberà and Priorat.
An excellent example of a Mediterranean mountain range, it has a predominately tabular relief with high plains such as Els Motllats – broken up by crags and gullies carved out of a complex geology with such surprising materials as red clay and the white calcareous rocks of the crags, or the granites and schists of some of the mountain slopes, as well as deep caves and potholes. Several major rivers that flow towards the Camp of Tarragona – the Francolí, the Brugent, the Siurana and the Glorieta, rise in these mountains and are fed by a relatively high rainfall and many torrents.
FURTHER INFORMATION: www.pradesmontsant.com
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