Olèrdola
Encyclopedia
Olèrdola is a municipality
in the comarca
of the Alt Penedès
in Catalonia
, Spain
. It is situated on the northern side of the Garraf massif
, and the highest point of the municipality is the Puig de l'Àliga at 468 m.
Olèrdola castle controlled the area of the Penedès Depression in the Early Middle Ages
, reaching the height of its significance when its castle dominated the region under the control of the rebellious Mir Geribert
, "Prince of Olèrdola". Its importance declined from the twelfth century and its administrative role was taken by Vilafranca del Penedès
. The territory has been inhabited since the Neolithic
period, and Iberic and Roman
remains are juxtaposed with the ruins of the castle. The unusual, circular, roman chapel of the Sant Sepulcre is near La Plana Rodona.
industrial zones (polígons industrials) make up the municipality. Population
s are given as of 2005:
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the comarca
Comarques of Catalonia
This is a list of the comarques of Catalonia . A comarca is roughly equivalent to a US "county" or a UK "district". However, in the context of Catalonia, the term "county" can be a bit misleading, because in medieval Catalonia, the most important rulers were counts, notably the Counts of Barcelona...
of the Alt Penedès
Alt Penedès
Alt Penedès is a comarca in Catalonia, northern Spain. The capital is Vilafranca del Penedès.-Municipalities:*Avinyonet del Penedès - pop. 1334*Les Cabanyes - pop. 603*Castellet i la Gornal - pop. 1562*Castellví de la Marca - pop. 1497...
in 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...
. It is situated on the northern side of the Garraf massif
Garraf Massif
The Garraf Massif is a mountain range of the Catalan Coastal Range, Catalonia, Spain. Its cliffs reach the Mediterranean waters. Its highest point on the coastal side is La Morella, 593 metres above sea level and further inland rises the higher, although less conspicuous, Montau .The Garraf Massif...
, and the highest point of the municipality is the Puig de l'Àliga at 468 m.
Olèrdola castle controlled the area of the Penedès Depression in the Early Middle Ages
Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
, reaching the height of its significance when its castle dominated the region under the control of the rebellious Mir Geribert
Mir Geribert
Mir Geribert was a Catalan nobleman, rebel against the Count of Barcelona for almost two decades , and self-declared "Prince of Olèrdola"...
, "Prince of Olèrdola". Its importance declined from the twelfth century and its administrative role was taken by Vilafranca del Penedès
Vilafranca del Penedès
Vilafranca del Penedès, or simply Vilafranca, is the capital of the comarca of the Alt Penedès in Catalonia, Spain. The Spanish spelling of the name, Villafranca del Penedés, is no longer in official use...
. The territory has been inhabited since the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period, and Iberic and Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
remains are juxtaposed with the ruins of the castle. The unusual, circular, roman chapel of the Sant Sepulcre is near La Plana Rodona.
Subdivisions
The name of the municipality is derived from the historical castle, not from any modern settlement. Six villages and twoindustrial zones (polígons industrials) make up the municipality. Population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
s are given as of 2005:
- Can Trabal (301)
- Daltmar (353)
- Moja (1285)
- El Polígon Industrial de Sant Pere Molanta (12)
- El Polígon Industrial el Clot de Moja
- Sant Miquel d'Olèrdola (327)
- Sant Pere Molanta (552), in the north of the municipality
- Viladellops (34)