Tourist guide Centelles

A WALK AROUND CENTELLES THE CENTELLES GUIDE WRITTEN BY: Fernanda Azogue, Judit Baliellas, Laura Beneyto, Lídia Boix, Joseline Brito, Pol Calm, Albert Codony, Clàudia Font, Fernando Gómez, Clàudia Grau, Ada Jimenez, Paula Marsal, Sergi Martín, Samiaa Oulad, Maria Piniés i Paula Serra

Projecte de recerca 4t ESO Comenius Project Curs 2011-2012 IES Pere Barnils

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction: welcome to Centelles 2. Location 3. History of Centelles 4. Historical heritage 5. Natural heritage 6. Relevant figures 7. Centelles main festivities 8. Gastronomy 9. Activities

1.Introduction: welcome to Centelles Centelles is one town of Osona that is situated at the south entry of the Vic’s Plain. It is a village with one excellent environment and a magnificent historical, artistic and cultural heritage. The most outstanding popular festival in Centelles is: El Cau de Bruixes (The Witches’ Place), which gets together all the people from Centelles and the villages around, and they dress up as witches. La Festa del Pi (The Pine Festival) begins in the morning when people cut down one pine and then they bring it to the main square and then post it in the cathedral. All the population get involved in the preparations and so do the stores.

Centelles is a town very quiet to live. Currently there are 7,167 habitants. Also, there are many typical dishes to taste there, as for example “la sanfaina”. Every Sunday, there is the traditional market, all square and some streets are filled with stalls where people can buy clothes, food and others things.

2.LOCATION Centelles is located in the south of the Plain of Vic, 17 km far from town and 52 km away from Barcelona. Its altitude is 498 m. Its limits are the Montseny mountain range in the east, La Guardia Mountain Range along with the Puigsagordi (the highest summit right in front of Canetelles) and the Hill of Eleven Hours, and borders with St. Martin Centelles, the Plain of Garg and Tagamanent in the south.

GETTING TO CENTELLES?

• By car: exit Centelles C-17 in the direction Vic. C-1413, Sant Feliu de Codines

• By bus: Company Sagalés: Barcelona-Vic / Vic Line-Castellterçol / 932 312 756

• By train: Barcelona-Puigcerdà Station: Centelles

• By taxi: George Avellà 619 953 613 John Ruiz 636 908 916 / Sebas 620 254 008

Timetable for the train Line

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05:16

06:23

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16:15

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17:36

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3.HISTORY OF CENTELLES The first details that we have about Centelles date back from 9th century, when it was founded in 898. Centelles was appointed as a town on the act of consecrate of Aiguafreda de Dalt. The town has had an important toponym evolution.

Centelles has had four different names: Santa Coloma de Pujol Ric : it was the first name the village had, as there was this church built on a hill (which is a Pujol), and the name Ric was because of the river on the side and it means richness.

Santa Coloma de Vinyoles (XIII century): it changed to this name because Mas de Vinyoles became a domus, a very important farmhouse.

Santa Coloma de Centelles (XVI): in the XVI century, the village suffers the most important and referent change. The family of the Centelles moves to the village and they give it their family name because they were very important. Besides, they built the palace and formed a new structure of the town.

Centelles: eventually, the people just cut it short and say Centelles and that’s it.

Centelles church’s perspective First, Centelles had the typical structure of the Medieval Catalonia Village. The town was round-shaped around the main church with the basic objective of protecting it and leaving a limit of 30 steps from the center point to the wall that made and symbolized the sanctuary. The sanctuary was one of the most important spaces for the people of the farms because in those times they stored the grain and provisions there and anyone couldn’t steal them. If someone broke the laws, he/she was expelled of the church, and this was an unforgivable deed for their souls.

Centelles’ castle The Centelles church was protected by houses for one side, and for the other it had a natural protection, the Sira’s Torrent (a stream). Then in the XVI century, Centelles took the biggest structure change when the Centelles family came down to live in the village. They moved from the castle to a palace which was built at the same place where at present the town center lies. Together with their palace they designed and built the square, the main street (the old avenue) and they closed the village with three portals, of which there is only one left, “the New Portal" near the town council.

The new Portal of Centelles

The square and Centelles’ palace

The urban expansion of the village kept going on during the XVII and the XVIII century spreading out the limited walls with other residential areas and streets.

The Centelles’ Walk before being rebuilt.

Centelles was a village with a large clothing tradition since the XVI century.

Thanks to this industrial activity, it kept growing economically, demographically and experimented a main urban growth until the beginning of the XIX century.

In 1809 1/3 part of the houses of the village and the textile industries were destroyed because of the Independence War. Reclaiming the village wasn’t easy, because there were the outbreak of other wars in the middle of the XIX century and they affected the village too.

After this in 1875, the train station arrived in Centelles, and this boosted again the industry and it also became a summer village.

Mas Estabanell textile factory

These two factors made the village grew again. Summer houses destroyed almost part of the ancient walls and they created the residential areas and one of the most important projects, the Train Avenue by Ildefons Cerdà.

Train’s avenue

4.Historical heritage Centelles’s old town preserves the traces of the walled villa from the 14th century, which constituted the political and economic capital of the Barony and later Centelles County. The fingerprint of that period remains both in the urban design and in the main streets that were crossing the villa, the most emblematic buildings, the decorative details of portals and façades, etc.

Panoramic view of Centelles

The Major Square Urbanized between the year 1514 and 1549, nowadays it is the center of the village’s life, since it is the core of the Sunday market. The square is presided by the Palace of the Counts, constructed in the middle of the 16th century and reconstructed in the 19th century. The main façade preserves the shield of the Counts of Centelles. It is declared nation’s patrimony of cultural interest.

The square at present

The ancient square

The Portal Nou (the ancient entrance of the village) The very first project of the entrance was conducted by Gilabert VII (son of Centelles counts)in 1412 but it wasn’t completed. The Portal Nou was first documented in 1572 and probably it dates back from the urban remodeling done by Lluís I and his son Guillem Ramon II in the middle of the 19th century. It was the place of meeting point of the local council of the Centelles's county. In spite of having successive restorations, the original features have been respected. The heraldic shield of the Carrós-Centelles is outlined. It was declared Cultural Patrimony of National Interest.

The counts’ Palace The first local residence owned by the Centelles, first barons and later counts.

In the year 1415, the palace was found close to the parish church, in La Sagrera. Later on, between the 1510 and the 1514 the baron Lluís extended the house and solar built the square and around. In the year 1540, Guillem Ramon II built the palace in its present location. In the XVIII century the Renaissance-Baroque palace was refurbished and rebuilt to its current look. It was declared Cultural Patrimony of National Interest.

Jesus Capilla's Chapel Constructed between 1536 and in 1539 by Carrós-Centelles's Guillem Ramon III. It held the seat of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Jesus’s Candle, after which is named. Also, there were headquarters of the Villa’s Council during the XVII and XVIII century, it was the school in the 17th century and accidentally a Parish Church in the 18th century. It is placed out of the walls, and still today holds extraordinary meetings of the local government.

The Walk It is the most distinguished intervention from the modernist architect Manuel J. I in Centelles. It was carried out between the year 1919 and it was financed in partly by Miquel Pratmarço's private contributions.

The Sagrera It is the distance of 30 steps around the church of Saint Coloma documented from 1145. It was the point from which Centelles's urban development started up by the Barons of Centelles took place in the 16th century.

Walled villa Enclosure that comprises the section of the street Nou in the SocĂłs street and up to the street Hospital. He was having three doors of access. The New portal, Sant Antoni's portal and Sant MartĂ­'s portal. Still there remain many buildings that give form to the urban development growth of Renaissance typology.

The wall Still there stay remains of the wall that got up in this period of expansion of the municipality. The remains can observe in the street Tàpies's Round and in the street Riumundé.

Relevant “Masos”

Masos are typical farming houses. In the area of Centelles we find some masos documented from the 12th century up to the 18th century. The most outstanding are: -The Mas Vinyoles (placed at the foot of the Puigsagordi mountain) -The Cerdà (placed in the plain of the Gargi, it was the natal house of the engineer Ildefons Cerdà, the one who designed the Rambles district in Barcelona) -The Ollic (it was restored after a fire) -The Rossell (it was constructed for defensive purpose) -The Llavina’s mill (it ‘s one of the best preserved farmhouses in Catalonia) Other mills of interest are: the mill of the Rosell, the mill of the “Estrada” and the mill of the Canes.

Religious heritage Saint Coloma’s Church It Is the parochial church of Centelles. Documented from 898. The current aspect corresponds to the works realized between 1704 and 1711. Its construction is based on an only nave with lateral chapels and a choir and platforms of the first plant.

Attached to the north part we find the Fonda chapel. The belfry is square-based which is transformed in octagonal at half height.

From all chapels in Centelles, those that must be stood out are (Chapel of Socós, Saint Magdalena de Villarestau, Saint Antoni’s Chapel, Saint Paul of Gémena ...)

Modernist houses The arrival of the train forced to undo some changes in the design of the streets. The Marquees of Peña-Plata Street and Josep Anselm street were open and given a modern design. Along these streets we can find several holiday summer houses of modernist style and also several places of leisure like the Violeta (a cultural centre) and the Church’s Lodge.

6.Natural heritage Situated in the west of Osona, the territory has important Mediterranean influences.The outline of the town mostly consists of oaks, rocky territories, so many cliffs, and a lot of green sides. It has a great environmental value with a lot of fauna and flora, but the urban growth has made the natural zones decrease, and now it’s necessary to protect the environment for the future.

The Black Sauva

The Black Sauva is an important territory inside the natural countryside of Osona, it’s a little unknown protected zone of about 67,35 ha which presents one of the most diverse and interesting forest regions around Barcelona. Beeches, oaks ,

blade, maples, rowans (deciduous trees) and red pine areas, mushrooms etc... The Black Sauva is the nearest beech forest to the equator.

The prehistoric coast and Cerdà’s old country house

It has a natural diversity which is perfect to go on hiking with the family and friends. You can go with young children, because it’s very accessible. There are a lot of different routes and places to go like: -

Baumes Corcades Climbing Path

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The prehistoric coast itinerary

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The Puigsagordi’s summit (984 m)

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Barraca Xau’s summit (1006 m)

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Quicarell’s Summir

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Morro de porc’s Peak (Pig-like Snout’s Peak)

Local springs

Centelles abounds in water, there are a lot of water springs easily accessible since the urban core, for example: -

La Font Calenta

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La Font de la Rovira

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La Font del Rosell

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La font Grossa

The spring called ‘La Font Calenta’

View from the Puigsagordi’s Summit

Morro de porc’s Peak (Pig-like Snout’s Peak)

An ancient oak found when hiking around

The Black Sauva Forest

The Puigsagordi’s Peak

The Black Sauva

The Climbing Path

7.Relevant figures Pere Barnils i Giol Pere Barnils i Giol was born in Centelles on 20 November 1882 and died in Barcelona on 30 January 1933. He was an important philologist and phonetician. From an early age he excelled in studies and this made people to know him as the wise man from “Ca la Madrona”. He studied at the seminary in Vic. In 1908 he won a grant offered by the Barcelona Provincial Council to study Romance Philology in Germany.

He got his PhD at the University of Halle, with a thesis on Die Mundart von Alicante and first worked as a fellow in a phonetics lab in Paris, with Jean-Pierre Rousselot.

When he came back, he created the Philological Section of the Institute of Catalan Studies and collected material for the drafting of the General Dictionary of the Catalan language. He was the confidant and colleague of Father Antoni M. Alcové (the creator a dictionary on the dialects of the Catalan language) in the Institute of Catalan Studies, where he worked as a secretary. In 1926 he joined the Academy of Arts of Barcelona.

On January 30, 1933 he died at the Laboratory of the Word in Barcelona, his particular laboratory.

Ildefons Cerdà ldefons Cerdà i Sunyer was born on 23 December 1815 and died in Caldas de Besaya, Cantabria, on 21 August 1876. It was the fourth child of six children. He was the progressive Catalan urban planner who designed the 19th-century "extension" of Barcelona called the Eixample. Destined by his father to the ecclesiastical career, he studied Latin and philosophy at the seminary in Vic. After confronting the father to change his professional direction, in 1832 he moved to Barcelona, where he began studies in architecture, mathematics, navigation and drawing at the school market. He didn't graduate as an architect and September 1835 he moved to Madrid to study civil engineering at the School of Engineering, where he graduated in engineering in 1841.In June 1848 she married with the painter Mary Magdalene Bosch Calmell Clotilde, with whom he had four daughters. He began his career as an engineer at the Industry Minsitry, between 1839 and 1849, he was sent to work in Murcia, Teruel, Tarragona,Valencia, Barcelona and Girona, where he participated in the work of the first Barcelona-Mataró railway. This work was interested in the application of steam to the revolutionary new system of locomotion that represented the railroad. As an architect, he devoted himself, with his characteristic thoroughness, to make enormous efforts in the analysis of statistics, graphics involving urban design with proposals for housing and various social categories with different degrees of complexity, from the detached house to the collective. In 1971, coinciding with the reissue of his general theory of the estate, his remains were moved and buried in the New Cemetery of Barcelona.

7.Centelles Main Festivities From 25th August to 4th September, it’s the village main festivity. As the village's main festivity it has al the typical characteristics of the Catalan tradition: popular games, dances, concerts, correfoc (people dressed up as demons playing with fire and fireworks), sardanes (traditional Catalan dance), havaneres (traditional sailor's songs) and giants. Anyhow, it may not be t he best festival in Centelles, because the Pine's Festivity and the Magic Market are way better. We also have to stand out the new giants (Cent and Teies), which come up in different acts. This main festivity also is used to celebrate the 300 years of the configuration of the actual church Santa Coloma. In this church, every 30th December, they hang a pine in the church to honour Santa Coloma.

The Pine Tree Festivity On December 30th, the village of Centelles celebrates the day of Santa Coloma, the saint patron of Centelles. The Pine Festivity has ancient and pagan influences connected with the winter solstice, with the fertility of the land, and with the rebirth of the day. On Boxing Day, Centelles’ inhabitants go to the forest to get the Pine, the tree which has the strongest and widest branches. Once it is found, it is marked with paint.

The people wait with anxieties the come of this day. The day after, on Santa Coloma’s day, the inhabitants go back to the forest, after having an old style breakfast (toastedsliced bread with spread tomato together with meat cooked in live coal), they cut the pine, they lay it onto an ancient stagecoach pulled by bulls. Once at the church, they start the pine ritual; pulling up and down the pine, whose ancient origins are unknown.

A must see experience which gets it to the bone. After the dance, it is hanged down and offered to the main altar.

Pine is loaded into a cart pulled by bulls followed up by the crowd

The galejadors (the people responsible for picking, cutting and carrying the pine)

The Giants The giants are some figures of big dimensions that represent kings, nobles or characters with traditional clothing. Along with the “tadpoles� (anthropomorphic figures typical of the traditional festivities of several European areas), they are a very highlighted element of many traditional village festivities in most Catalan municipalities. They often represent the ancient benefactors of the town.

The giants of Centelles

8.Gastronomy One of the most typical food in Centelles is truffles, and due to its popularity now it is part of “Fira de la Tòfona”(Fair of the Truffles). The Truffle is an underground mushroom.

The Truffle Faire marks the beginning of the Christmas activities in Centelles. It lasts a whole day and the following morning. The Truffle Faire holds 45 stalls, most of which offer to the public fresh truffles, canned sausages, truffle oil, and other products made with truffles.

Other typical food is the vegetarian samfaina (vegetarian sauce), others are sausages, the jam, the craft cheese and the liquor.

During Cau de Bruixes (Witch House Festival) “Crostolls de bruixa” are made, they are bread slices with haunted chocolate. And if you want, you can go to any of the

bars and restaurants in Centelles: La violeta, Bar Cafeteria El Trabuc, La Palmera, and others.

9.Activities For those who like adventure, there is a climbing route called "the Baumer Corcades", 5 minutes away from the campsite, where you can enjoy playing sports and enjoy great views. And for those who enjoy mushrooms, here the is the Puigsagordi mountain and around to spend some time walking through the woods.

At 46-km there is the Sau reservoir, a reservoir surrounded by reddish mountains, where you can still see the church of the old village submerged by the waters of the reservoir. Here you can practice water skiing and fishing. There you will also find a yacht club.

At 8.5-km from Centelles, we find the village of Tona, known for its hot springs, its castle with great views of the plain, the Lourdes shrine. You can also go to the Museum de Les Lloses, which offers the visit to the Ibero-Roman ruins from the Iron Age, together with the materials used in everyday life at that time.

If you like climbing, you can always go to Tavertet. Located at 50 km from Centelles. Through the forest, following the path that leads up to a hermitage, you will see a beautiful landscape.

All villages to be found in the region have very beautiful places such as shrines and swamps with the freshness of our forests and a set of peaks and where we see wonderful views of the countryside. You can enjoy hiking or mountain biking tours.

Close by we find the villages of Malla, Collsuspina El Brull ... Spend an afternoon watching the scenery that this high places offer of the entire plain of Vic and surroundings.

A little further, 90 km away we arrive to the monastery of Montserrat, where you can contemplate the beauty of the mountains and visit the Black Madonna. And for the more adventurous can take long walks and some climbing routes around.

There are many charming villages, and one of them is Rupit. I deserves to spend the day enjoying the beauty, the food and houses made of stone, and enjoy the forest and its wild mushrooms.

St. Miquel del Fai is a new and beautiful place to visit, it is located 28 km far from Centelles. A nature’s reserve with the Catalan Gothic-Romanesque monastery and the charm of its church along with a wonderful waterfall and caves, not very big, but

beautiful to see and accessible for all, surrounded by high mountains and fresh air.

Who likes water? You can find some rivers around here, in Viladrau, or Ossosmort Alpens. To enjoy a cool bath in the middle of nature and native fauna.