Lleida

Lleida, also known as Lérida, is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital and largest town in Segrià county, the Ponent region and the province of Lleida. The city is located in the Catalan Central Depression and had 140,797 inhabitants as of 2022.

Lleida is one of the oldest towns in Catalonia, with settlements dating back to the Bronze Age period. Before the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, the area was home to an Iberian people, the Ilergetes. The town became a municipality named Ilerda under the reign of Augustus. It was ruled by Muslims from the 8th century until it was reconquered in 1149.

In 1297, the University of Lleida was founded, making it the third oldest in the Iberian Peninsula. Over the centuries, the town faced damage from several wars, including the Reapers' War in the 17th century and the Spanish Civil War in the 20th century. Since then, the city has experienced steady growth in urban development, commerce, and population.

Name

The city is usually called Lérida in Spanish, but many people prefer to use the Catalan name, Lleida. This preference started because the old Spanish name was used during a time when the government tried to change the local culture to match the main language of the country. Today, Lleida is the official name used in both Catalan and Spanish.

History

See also: Timeline of Lleida

In ancient times, the city was called Iltrida and Ilerda and was an important place for the Ilergetes, an Iberian tribe. Leaders like Indíbil, king of the Ilergetes, and Mandoni, king of the Ausetanes helped protect it from invasions.

Later, under the Romans, the city became part of the province of Hispania Tarraconensis. It was strategically located near the river Sicoris (now the Segre), which helped it control important trade routes. During a big conflict known as the Civil War, the city played a key role. Smart strategies by Caesar led to victory there.

In the Middle Ages, the city was taken from Muslim Hispania by Count Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona in 1149. It once had a very old university, but it was moved to another town in 1717. The University of Lleida started again in 1991.

During tough times like the Spanish Civil War, the city faced difficult battles and bombings. Over time, people from many places moved to Lleida, making it a home to people from over 140 nationalities. In 2007, Lleida was named the Capital of Catalan Culture.

Jewish History

The Jewish area of Lleida, called the Juderia, dates back to the 11th century and was known as La Cuirassa. A street named "Judería" still reminds us of this history. Archaeologists found special items, like a ring with the name "Goig" in Hebrew and a very old Jewish ritual bath called a mikveh.

Climate

Lleida has a temperate semi-arid climate. The winters are mild and foggy but cooler than areas near the coast, and the summers are hot and dry. Frost often happens in winter, and sometimes snow falls, usually about 1 or 2 days a year. The city does not get much rain, with about 369 millimetres (15 inches) falling each year. Most of the rain comes in April, May, September, and October.

Districts and neighbourhoods

Lleida has many different areas where people live. Some of these areas are Balàfia, Les Basses d'Alpicat, La Bordeta, Butsènit, Camp d'Esports, Cappont, Centre Històric, Ciutat Jardí, Humbert Torres, Instituts-Templers, Joc de la Bola, Llívia, Magraners, Mariola, Pardinyes, Príncep de Viana-Clot, Rambla Ferran-Estació, Secà de Sant Pere, Torres de Sanuí, and Universitat.

Transport

Railway

Lleida is connected by Renfe’s Madrid–Barcelona high-speed rail line, which travels through Barcelona, Zaragoza, Calatayud, Guadalajara, and Madrid. The city has a new airport that opened in January 2010, along with a smaller airfield in Alfès. Lleida is also the western end of the Eix Transversal road that goes to Girona. Plans are in place for a railway along the same route.

Lleida’s main train station is Lleida Pirineus, where trains from Renfe and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya stop. In the future, a local train network called Rodalies Lleida will connect Lleida with nearby towns, adding more trains and new tracks. There is another station, Pla de la Vilanoveta, used only for cargo trains, and a future train museum may be built there. Since 2008, most bus services for the area around Lleida are managed by Autoritat Territorial de la Mobilitat de l'Àrea de Lleida.

Bus

The city has yellow buses with blue stripes run by Autobusos de Lleida. Some of the routes include:

• L-1 Interior
• L-2 Ronda
• L-3 Pardinyes
• L-4 Mariola – Parc científic i tecnològic
• L-5 Bordeta
• L-6 Magraners
• L-7 Secà
• L-8 Balàfia-Gualda
• L-9 Hospitals
• L-10 Exterior
• L-11 Llívia-Caparrella
• L-11B Llívia-Caparrella-Butsenit
• L-12 C.Històric-Universitat
• L-13 Cappont
• L-14 Agrònoms
• L-P Polígons
• L-17 Bordeta-Ciutat Jardí
• L-18 Palau de Congressos- Rambla de la Mercé
• L-19 Butsenit
• L-N Wonder (Regular night service)
• L-Bus Turístic (tourist bus)
• L-Aeroport
• L-Llotja

There is also a tourist bus and a night service to nearby places.

Airport

Lleida has Lleida-Alguaire airport, which opened in 2010. It has direct flights to the Balearic Islands with Iberia. The biggest airport nearby is Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport, which offers many domestic and international flights. It is about 154 km (96 mi) southeast of Lleida.

Future and planned services

There are plans for a tram-train system that could connect Balaguer and Lleida. This would use an old passenger line and help improve travel within the city and between towns.

Languages

Lleida is a city where people mainly speak Catalan, especially a special kind called Northwestern Catalan. Most people there can also speak Spanish very well.

Culture

Lleida was named the Capital of Catalan Culture in 2007.

The city has many places for music and theatre. The Enric Granados Auditorium is the main concert hall and music school, named after the famous composer Enric Granados who was born there. CaixaForum Lleida is another concert venue, and Teatre Municipal de l'Escorxador is the main theatre. La Llotja de Lleida, a theatre and congress centre, opened in 2010.

Lleida hosts two big music festivals: the MÚSIQUES DISPERSES Folk Festival in March and the JAZZ TARDOR jazz festival in November. There are also concerts during the local feasts of Sant Anastasi in May and Sant Miquel in September.

Film events often happen at CaixaForum Lleida. The city holds a yearly Latin-American film festival and an animation film festival called Animac in May.

The Lleida Museum, opened in 2008, shows historical items and art from many times. Other art places include the Institut d'Estudis Ilerdencs, Centre d'Art La Panera, and Museu d'Art Jaume Morera, which displays art from the last two centuries. There are also small city galleries and spaces for local artists.

Traditional celebrations in Lleida include the main yearly festival, Festa Major, and the Fira de Sant Miquel. L’Aplec del Caragol is a big festival where people eat escargot, held every May since 1980. It is one of the largest escargot-eating festivals in the world.

Lleida's nightlife is centred around an area known as Els Vins. The older part, Els Vins Vells, has been replaced by Els Vins Nous, a newer and more modern area. Many big clubs are outside the town and need a car to reach, but there is a bus on Saturday nights.

Main sights

Lleida has many interesting places to see. La Seu Vella is a beautiful cathedral with parts built in Romanesque and Gothic styles. It was later used as a fortress. Nearby, you can find La Seu Nova, another important cathedral.

The Institut d'Estudis Ilerdencs was once a hospital and is now a museum. It shows art and objects from different times, including Roman and medieval periods. La Paeria is the city hall and also has old remains from Roman and Moorish times.

Other sights include Gardeny hill with an old fortress, the Mermaid Fountain in Camps Elisis gardens, and several parks like La Mitjana and Les Basses d'Alpicat. There are also many churches, such as the Church of Sant Llorenç and Church of Sant Martí, as well as museums like the Museum of Lleida and the Museu d'Art Jaume Morera.

Sports

Lleida has several sports teams. Unió Esportiva Lleida played at the Camp d'Esports but dissolved in 2011. After that, Lleida Esportiu was founded in 2011 as a football club. There is also CE Lleida Bàsquet, which plays at Pavelló Barris Nord, and CE Atlètic Lleida, another football club. Additionally, SE AEM is a women's football club in the city.

Sister cities

Lleida has friendly connections with many cities around the world. Some of these cities are Ferrara in Italy, Foix in France, Hefei in China, Lérida in Colombia, Perpignan in France, and Monterey, California in the United States. These partnerships help the cities learn from each other and work together.

References in culture

Lleida is featured in a well-known Catalan folk song called La Presó de Lleida, which means "The prison of Lleida." This song has been around since at least the 17th century and might be even older. Many artists, including Joan Manuel Serrat, have performed this popular tune.

Notable people

Lleida has been home to many interesting people throughout history. Jaume d'Agramunt was a doctor and writer who lived there long ago. Joan Oró, born in Lleida, was a scientist who studied how life might have begun. Trini Tinturé, also from Lleida, is known for her work as a cartoonist and illustrator. Today, Sergej Milinković-Savić, a professional footballer, was born in Lleida.