Sant Boi de Llobregat

Sant Boi de Llobregat (IPA: [ˈsam ˈbɔj ðə ʎuβɾəˈɣat]) is a town of 83,605 inhabitants (2019)[4] in the Barcelona province of Catalonia, Spain, located on the banks of the Llobregat river.

Sant Boi de Llobregat
Municipality
Church of St. Baldiri
Flag
Coat of arms
Sant Boi de Llobregat
Location within Spain
Sant Boi de Llobregat
Sant Boi de Llobregat (Spain)
Coordinates: 41.336°N 2.043°E / 41.336; 2.043
Country Spain
Community Catalonia
ProvinceBarcelona
ComarcaBaix Llobregat
Government
 • MayorLluïsa Moret Sabidó (2015)[1]
Area
 • Total21.5 km2 (8.3 sq mi)
Population
 (2018)[3]
 • Total82,904
 • Density3,900/km2 (10,000/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Santboià/-na
Websitestboi.cat

The town is divided into six districts: Ciutat Cooperativa-Molí Nou, Marianao-Can Paulet, Barri Centre, Vinyets-Molí Vell, Camps Blancs-Canons-Orioles and Casablanca.

It borders to the north with the towns of Santa Coloma de Cervelló, Sant Joan Despí and the village of Sant Climent de Llobregat, to the east with the town of Cornellà de Llobregat, to the west with Viladecans and to the south with El Prat de Llobregat, having a narrow land extension to the south that enters into the Mediterranean Sea.


Economy

Though the main business activity is trading, centered around the service sector, Sant Boi is also known for industrial activity, especially metallurgy. Agriculturally, its mild climate and the fertile waterlogged lands at the mouth of the Llobregat river produce a wide variety of vegetables, including the famous Llobregat's delta artichokes

Politics

The mayor is Lluïsa Moret Sabidó (Socialists' Party of Catalonia, PSC), with the seats on the city council as follows:

Socialists' Party of Catalonia 10
Initiative for Catalonia Greens 4
Citizens – Party of the Citizenry 3
Republican Left of Catalonia 3
Gent de Sant Boi 2
People's Party 2
Convergence and Union 1

History

The finding of archaeological remains corresponding to Iberian colonies (VI-I bC) and the Romans (I-V aC) - a noteworthy Roman bath is located near the river - suggests the origins of Sant Boi can be found in pre-Roman times.

Like most of the surrounding lands, from the 8th to the 11th century the town was controlled by the Moors, until their expulsion from Iberia during the Reconquista. The Moors called it "Alcala", which means castle, due to the existence of a hillock from where the river and the valley were dominated. Its present name derives from the name of Saint Baudilus, known as Boi or Baldiri in Catalonia.[5]

During the Middle Ages the village was progressively populated, growing from the surroundings of the castle to adjacent zones. A baroque-style church was built during the 16th century. The growth continued in the following centuries, giving rise to numerous "Masies" (typical Catalan agricultural housing) near the river and fertile lands. At the end of the 19th century Sant Boi was a village of nearly 5000 inhabitants, with an economy mainly driven by agriculture.

At the beginnings of the 20th century the first industries flourished in Sant Boi, ranging from brick manufacture to metalwork. With the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939 there was a massive inflow of immigration coming from diverse points of the Spanish geography. These flows of population consisted mainly of people from villages and small towns searching for a job and career opportunities in the city of Barcelona, stimulated by the increasing demand of workmanship in the regrowth of Catalan industry during the postwar period. The population rose from 10,000 people in 1940 to 65,000 in 1975. This period is characterized by the construction of complete quarters (Casablanca, Camps Blancs, Cooperativa) dedicated to housing for the immigrants.

Sant Boi is now a town with more than 80,000 inhabitants, with well-established industrial and services sectors, and good cultural and recreational offerings.

Demography
1900 1930 1950 1970 1986 2002
5,311 8,867 10,811 50,051 75,789 80,738

Notable places
  • Sant Baldiri's church
  • Termas Romanas
  • Sant Ramon hermitage

Sport

There is a rugby union club, UE Santboiana, and a football club, FC Santboià.

Prominent people from Sant Boi

See also

References
  1. "Ajuntament de Sant Boi de Llobregat". Generalitat of Catalonia. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
  2. "El municipi en xifres: Sant Boi de Llobregat". Statistical Institute of Catalonia. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  3. Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
  4. "The municipality in figures". Statistical Institute of Catalonia. June 11, 2020.
  5. Samboal
  • Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria (1989). Guia de Catalunya, Barcelona: Caixa de Catalunya. ISBN 84-87135-01-3 (Spanish). ISBN 84-87135-02-1 (Catalan).


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