Siurana (Tarragona)
| Cornudella de Montsant municipality: Siurana | |||
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 View of the village of Siurana
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| coat of arms | Map of Spain | ||
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| Basic data | |||
| Autonomous Community : | Catalonia | ||
| Province : | Tarragona | ||
| Comarca : | Priory (comarca) | ||
| Coordinates | 41 ° 15 ′ N , 0 ° 56 ′ E | ||
| Height : | 737 msnm | ||
| Residents : | 36 (2011) INE | ||
| Postal code : | 43362 | ||
| Area code: | 43049000200 | ||
Siurana , or Siurana de Prades , is a suburb of the municipality of Cornudella de Montsant in the Catalan comarca Priorat ( Tarragona province ). It has 36 inhabitants (as of 2011).
Geographical location
Siurana is located about 30 kilometers northwest of Tarragona on a mighty limestone cliff at an altitude of 737 meters. It offers a wide view of the valley of the river and reservoir of the same name .
history
The Muslim Waliat Siurana
The Moors invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 711 and followed the Roman roads on their conquests . They had already reached Catalonia in 714. The actual occupation was gradual, however, as the first Muslim settlers were nomads who did not finally settle until the middle of the 9th century. The area of Siurana gained in importance in the 11th century when the Count of Barcelona , Raimund Berengar I (1023-1076), made the first attempts to occupy the city of Tarragona , making Siurana a line of defense for Islam . This forced the Moors to retreat to safe fortresses in the mountains. The strategic location of Siurana delayed the advance of the Christian re-conquerors for a long time . The mountains of Prades and a large part of the priory as well as parts of today's comarques Baix Camp , Alt Camp , Conca de Barberà and Garrigues formed a border region around the castle of Siurana.
The conquest of Siurana
Due to its location, Siurana was practically impregnable at that time. Tarragona was conquered as early as 1118, but a permanent occupation of the region did not take place until 1146. In 1148 and 1149 Tortosa and Lleida were conquered. In 1151 the Christian conquerors had encircled the Waliat (= viceroyalty) Siurana. Its fall was only a matter of time. As the last of the Taifas of today's Catalonia, Siurana was recaptured in 1153 by the troops of Raimund Berengar IV. (R. 1131–1162).
Attractions
The Romanesque church of Santa Maria stands on the outskirts high above the river valley.
Others
The characteristic rocky landscape makes Siurana a magnet for sport climbers . Some of the hardest climbing routes in the world exist here , including Golpe de Estado and La Rambla .
gastronomy
This region of the Priorat is known for its olive oil with Protected Designation of Origin Siurana .
Web links
- Siurana, Spain - The Golden Mountains (more pictures)