Balaguer

Balaguer
Municipality
Church of St. Mary.

Flag
Coat of arms
Balaguer
Location in Spain
Balaguer
Balaguer (Catalonia)
Balaguer
Balaguer (Spain)
Coordinates: 41°47′24″N 0°48′18″E / 41.790°N 0.805°E / 41.790; 0.805Coordinates: 41°47′24″N 0°48′18″E / 41.790°N 0.805°E / 41.790; 0.805
Country  Spain
Community  Catalonia
Province Lleida
Comarca La Noguera
Government
 • Mayor Jordi Ignasi Vidal Giné (2015)[1]
Area[2]
 • Total 57.3 km2 (22.1 sq mi)
Elevation 233 m (764 ft)
Population (2014)[1]
 • Total 16,485
 • Density 290/km2 (750/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Balaguerí, balaguerina
Climate Cfa
Website www.balaguer.cat

Balaguer (Catalan pronunciation: [bələˈɣe]) is the capital of the comarca of Noguera, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. It is located by the river Segre, a tributary to the Ebre. The municipality includes an exclave to the east.

Balaguer was conquered from the Moors by Ermengol VI of Urgell in 1106; he made it his new capital, and it remained so for subsequent counts of Urgell.

The town has a Gothic bridge, the "Pont de Sant Miquel", over the Segre river. This bridge was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War in the battle of "Cap de Pont" (bridgehead battle in 1938) and rebuilt after the war.

Another Gothic building is the Santa Maria Church, in the heights above the city, in line with a quite finely conserved wall dating to the 15th century AD.

The historic town is on the right bank of the Segre but, following the Spanish Civil War, construction began on a modern bridge, which initiated development of a modern extension of the town on the left bank.

General Franco's forces first entered Catalonia from Aragon in 1938 through Balaguer's bridgehead.

Notable natives

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Ajuntament de Balaguer". Generalitat of Catalonia. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
  2. ↑ "El municipi en xifres: Balaguer". Statistical Institute of Catalonia. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  3. ↑ "Naked Josep Ivan Argelaga Is Pretending To Be A Dog All In The Name Of Art".



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