VILAFRANCA DEL PENEDèS

'Vilafranca del Penedès' 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, and the town is often referred to as simply "Vilafranca" as it is the only municipality of this name in
Catalonia. It is situated in the Penedès depression on the left bank of the Foix river, and on the main
axis of communication from Barcelona to Valencia, served by a RENFE railway line (R4) and by the A-7
''autopista'' as well as by the C-243 and C-244 roads to Vilanova i la Geltrú and Igualada respectively.
The town was founded in the middle of the twelfth century as a result of the decline of Olèrdola, which had been
until then the main local centre. It was established as the seat of a ''vegueria'' in 1304. The Corts were held in
the town in 1218 under King Jaume I, and again in 1358–59 and in 1367. King Pere II died while staying at the
royal palace in Vilafranca in 1289, and it served as a temporary court for Queen Maria in
1451 and 1453 and for Queen Joana Enríquez in 1461–62.
Vilafranca is a centre for the local wine industry, along with neighbouring Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. Other local industries
include textiles, metallurgy, food processing and construction materials. It is also an important commercial
centre.
The gothic church of Santa Maria and the royal palace (''Palau Reial'') are situated in the
historic town centre. The latter building from the thirteenth century houses the town museum, with collections of
archeology, paleontology, ornithology, ceramics and sacred art, and a Museum of Wine (''Museu del Vi'').
Other notable monuments include the church of Sant Joan, the convent of Sant Francesc and a number of old merchant's
houses such as the ''Palau del Fraret'', the ''Casal dels Gomà'' and the ''Casal del Marquès d'Alfarràs''.

Contents

Demography

Subdivisions

History

References

External links

Demography

Vilafranca del Penedès has grown steadily at the expense of the more rural areas of Alt Penedès, aided by its
excellent transport links and by the strength of the local economy (particularly the wine industry).

Subdivisions

Four outlying villages are included within the municipality of Vilafranca del Penedès (populations as of 2005):

★ El Bordellet (9)

★ El Molí d'en Rovira (166)

★ Perepau (87)

★ Les Salines (85)

History

Vilafranca del Penedès is part of the long history of motor racing in Catalonia, from 1908-1920 events were staged over public roads from Sitges to Canyelles to Vilanova i la Geltrú, and from Mataro to Vilassar de Mar and Argentona. In 1922 and 1923 the Real Moto Club de Catalunya ran the Penya Rhin Grand Prix over a 9 mile circuit around the town of Vilafranca del Penedès until it was replaced by a short lived purpose built circuit, the Sitges Terramar.

References

★ 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).

★ ''Enciclopèdia catalana bàsica'' (Edn. ''El Periódico''), Barcelona, 1996.

External links

★ Official site

★ Information from the Generalitat de Catalunya

★ Information from the Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya