Gandesa
Encyclopedia
Gandesa is the capital of the comarca of Terra Alta
, in the province of Tarragona
, Catalonia
, Spain
.
tribe that lived in this area before Roman times.
Gandesa has a church with unusual and interesting sculptures on the Romanesque
porch.
The old winery
of Gandesa, also know in Catalonia as one of the Wine Cathedrals, is from Modernisme
and Noucentisme
style and was designed by the architect Cèsar Martinell in 1919.
Gandesa was at the center of fighting during the Battle of the Ebro
in the Spanish Civil War
. In the Summer of 1938 Republican forces crossed the Ebro in an attempt to throw back the Nationalist armies of General Franco. This is mentioned in the ballad "Jamie Foyers
". Now there is a museum devoted to the Battle of the Ebro in Gandesa.
On December 23, 1948 an Iberia Airlines
Douglas DC-3
crashed in bad weather near Gandesa killing all 27 occupants.
Terra Alta
Terra Alta is a sparsely populated inland comarca in Catalonia, Spain. Its capital is Gandesa. It is also known as Castellania, a name dating back to its medieval status as a fiefdom held by the Order of Knights of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem under the Crown of Aragon.- Municipalities...
, in the province of Tarragona
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
History
In the place known as Coll del Moro there is an ancient Iberian archaeological site belonging to the IlercavonesIlercavones
The Ilercavones were an ancient Iberian people of the Iberian peninsula . They are believed to have spoken an Iberian language....
tribe that lived in this area before Roman times.
Gandesa has a church with unusual and interesting sculptures on the Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
porch.
The old winery
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
of Gandesa, also know in Catalonia as one of the Wine Cathedrals, is from Modernisme
Modernisme
Modernisme was a cultural movement associated with the search for Catalan national identity. It is often understood as an equivalent to a number of fin-de-siècle art movements, such as Art Nouveau, Jugendstil, Secessionism, and Liberty style, and was active from roughly 1888 to 1911 Modernisme ...
and Noucentisme
Noucentisme
Noucentisme was a Catalan cultural movement of the early 20th century that originated largely as a reaction against Modernisme, both in art and ideology, and was, simultaneously, a perception of art almost opposite to that of avantgardists...
style and was designed by the architect Cèsar Martinell in 1919.
Gandesa was at the center of fighting during the Battle of the Ebro
Battle of the Ebro
The Battle of the Ebro was the longest and bloodiest battle of the Spanish Civil War...
in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. In the Summer of 1938 Republican forces crossed the Ebro in an attempt to throw back the Nationalist armies of General Franco. This is mentioned in the ballad "Jamie Foyers
Jamie Foyers
Jamie Foyers is a well-known song by the folk singer and songwriter Ewan MacColl.It tells the story of a shipyard worker from the Clyde who goes to fight with the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War...
". Now there is a museum devoted to the Battle of the Ebro in Gandesa.
On December 23, 1948 an Iberia Airlines
Iberia Airlines
Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España, S.A., commonly known as Iberia, is the flag carrier airline of Spain. Based in Madrid, it operates an international network of services from its main bases of Madrid-Barajas Airport and Barcelona El Prat Airport....
Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
crashed in bad weather near Gandesa killing all 27 occupants.