Piera
Encyclopedia
The municipality of Piera covers a large portion of the southeastern corner of the comarca
of Anoia
in Catalonia
, on the left bank of the Anoia river
. The agricultural land, mostly non-irrigated, is used for the cultivation of cereal
s, grape
s, olive
s and almond
s. The town itself hosts a number of light industries: textile
s, plastic
s and construction materials. Tourism during the summer months is also relatively important for the local economy.
The FGC
railway line R6 from Martorell
and Barcelona
to Igualada
runs through the town, while local roads lead to Capellades
and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia
.
Notable monuments include the castle of Fontanet. The castle which was restored in 1916 by Ramon de Viala d'Aiguavives, Baron of Almenar is documented in 955 a.c. and now used for private functions.
The sister of the Baron of Almenar, Isabel de Viala d'Aiguavives also financed and patroned the modernist church of Ca n'Aguilera which was donated to Barcelona's Bishop by Zaragoza de Viala family on 1921. The architect of Ca N'Aguilera modernist church is Francesc Berenguer i Mestres
, who was Antoni Gaudi
's disciple and personal friend.
Another Piera relevant monument is the church of Santa Maria, with both gothic and roman elements
traditional settlements (barris antics) and the newer urbanisations which have been developed to cope with the
expansion of the municipality (barris nous). Population
s are given for 1999, from the Ajuntament de Piera and cited in
Història de Piera: the town of Piera (nucli urbà) had a population of 5036 at that date, whereas the total population
of the municipality was 8551.
Comarca
A comarca is a traditional region or local administrative division found in parts of Spain, Portugal, Panama, Nicaragua, and Brazil. The term is derived from the term marca, meaning a "march, mark", plus the prefix co- meaning "together, jointly".The comarca is known in Aragonese as redolada and...
of Anoia
Anoia
Anoia is a comarca in central Catalonia, Spain, with its capital at Igualada.The comarca of l'Anoia is irrigated by the Anoia River; the leading industry is the making of paper....
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...
, on the left bank of the Anoia river
Anoia River
The Anoia is a river in Catalonia, Spain, most of whose course is within thecomarca of the same name. Its source is in the municipality of Veciana at...
. The agricultural land, mostly non-irrigated, is used for the cultivation of cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
s, grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
s, olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
s and almond
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
s. The town itself hosts a number of light industries: textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
s, plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
s and construction materials. Tourism during the summer months is also relatively important for the local economy.
The FGC
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya , or FGC, is a railway company which operates several unconnected lines in Catalonia, Spain....
railway line R6 from Martorell
Martorell
Martorell is a town near Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain, primarily known for its medieval Devil's bridge.It has three railway stations - one on the RENFE line from Manresa to Sant Vicenç de Calders called "Martorell", and three on the FGC line from Barcelona to Manresa called "Martorell-Vila",...
and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
to Igualada
Igualada
Igualada is a municipality of the province of Barcelona in Catalonia . It is located on the left bank of the Anoia river, and at the western end of the Igualada-Martorell-Barcelona railway. Igualada is the capital and central market of the Anoia comarca, a rich agricultural and wine-producing...
runs through the town, while local roads lead to Capellades
Capellades
Capellades is a town in Catalonia, located in the south of the comarca of Anoia, some sixty metres above the Anoia river where it cuts through the Serrelada Pre-litoral, or precoastal range, in the Capellades Gorge...
and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia
Sant Sadurní d'Anoia
Sant Sadurní d'Anoia is a municipality in the comarca of the Alt Penedès in Spain, and the centre of production of a sparkling wine known as cava. It is situated in the north-east of the Penedès Depression at the confluence of the Avernó river and the Anoia river...
.
Notable monuments include the castle of Fontanet. The castle which was restored in 1916 by Ramon de Viala d'Aiguavives, Baron of Almenar is documented in 955 a.c. and now used for private functions.
The sister of the Baron of Almenar, Isabel de Viala d'Aiguavives also financed and patroned the modernist church of Ca n'Aguilera which was donated to Barcelona's Bishop by Zaragoza de Viala family on 1921. The architect of Ca N'Aguilera modernist church is Francesc Berenguer i Mestres
Francesc Berenguer i Mestres
Francesc Berenguer i Mestres was a Catalan Modernista architect, and an assistant and friend of Antoni Gaudí.He worked with several architectural workshops...
, who was Antoni Gaudi
Antoni Gaudí
Antoni Gaudí i Cornet was a Spanish Catalan architect and figurehead of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí's works reflect his highly individual and distinctive style and are largely concentrated in the Catalan capital of Barcelona, notably his magnum opus, the Sagrada Família.Much of Gaudí's work was...
's disciple and personal friend.
Another Piera relevant monument is the church of Santa Maria, with both gothic and roman elements
Subdivisions
The municipality of Piera includes several outlying villages (barris): these are usually distinguished into the older,traditional settlements (barris antics) and the newer urbanisations which have been developed to cope with the
expansion of the municipality (barris nous). 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 for 1999, from the Ajuntament de Piera and cited in
Història de Piera: the town of Piera (nucli urbà) had a population of 5036 at that date, whereas the total population
of the municipality was 8551.
Traditional barris
- El Bedorc (237), on the Anoia riverAnoia RiverThe Anoia is a river in Catalonia, Spain, most of whose course is within thecomarca of the same name. Its source is in the municipality of Veciana at...
- Ca n'Aguilera (161)
- Can Cairot (28)
- Can Creixell (2)
- La Fortesa (57), on the Anoia river at the southern point of the municipality
- Sant Jaume Sesoliveres (213)
Newer barris
- Bosc de l'Àliga (88)
- Can Bonastre (490)
- Can Bou (93)
- Can Canals (602)
- Can Claramunt (494)
- Can Martí (222)
- Can Mas (427)
- Can Mata (166)
- Castell de la Ventosa (51)
- La Grua (20)
- Vallbonica (26), on the road to Vallbona d'AnoiaVallbona d'AnoiaVallbona d'Anoia is a municipality in the comarca of the Anoia in Catalonia,Spain. It is situated to the left of the Anoia river, on the road between Piera and Capellades. The town isserved by a station on the FGC railway line R6 from Barcelona and...
- La Venta i Can Musarro (138)