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Sitges

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Sitges
Municipality
Sitges
Sitges
Flag of Sitges
Flag
Coat of arms of Sitges
Coat of arms
CountrySpain Spain
Autonomous communityCatalonia
ProvinceBarcelona
ComarcaGarraf
Judicial districtVillanueva y Geltrú
Government
 • AlcaldeMiquel Forns i Fusté (Convergence and Union)
Area
 • Total43.85 km2 (16.93 sq mi)
Elevation
10 m (30 ft)
Population
 (2009)
 • Total27,668
 • Density630/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
DemonymSitgetans
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
08870
Dialing code93
Official languagesCatalan
Spanish
WebsiteOfficial website

Sitges (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈsidʒəs]) is a town about 35 kilometres southwest of Barcelona, renowned worldwide for its Film Festival and Carnival. Located between the Garraf Massif and the sea, it is known for its beaches, nightspots, and historical sites.

While the roots of Sitges' artsy reputation date back to the late 19th century, when Spanish painter Santiago Rusiñol took up residence there during the summer, the town became a centre for the 1960s counterculture in mainland Spain, then still under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, and became known as "Ibiza in miniature".

Nowadays it is a popular destination for gay and lesbian travellers, as it has become one of the most gay-friendly places in the world.[1]

Today, Sitges' economy is based on tourism and culture offering more than 4,500 hotel beds, half of them in four-star hotels.

Almost 35% of the approximately 26,000 permanent inhabitants are from the Netherlands, the UK, France and Scandinavia, whose children attend international schools in the area. There are 17 beaches. Sitges was also the site of the annual Bilderberg conference held in June 2010.

Real estate

Sitges has been referred to as the Saint-Tropez of Spain,[2] with property prices approaching those of the most expensive European cities, the main reason for this being the setting by the sea and the surrounding Parc Natural del Garraf. Proximity to Barcelona International Airport is also a major advantage.

History

Human presence in the area dates to at least the Neolithic area, and an Iberian settlement from the 4th century. In the 1st century BC it included two separated villages, later absorbed by the Romans.

During the Middle Ages, a castle was built in Sitges, owned by the bishopric of Barcelona, which later ceded it to count Mir Geribert (1041). In the 12th century the town fell under the rule of the Sitges family. The latter held it until 1308, when Agnes of Sitges sold the town to Bernat de Fonollar, after whose death it went to the Pia Almoina, a charitable institution, to which it belonged until 1814.

Sitges economy was mostly based on the production of wine until the economic boom of the 1960s, after which it became a tourist resort.

The Carnival

For over a century, Sitges has been celebrating nonstop — between the months of February and March, according to the liturgical calendar — Carnestoltes, or Carnival.

The festivities begin on Dijous Gras, or Fat Thursday, with the arribo, King Carnestoltes’ spectacular arrival. From the moment this character appears until the burial of the sardine — late afternoon on Ash Wednesday — you could well say that life in Sitges moves to a new beat.

Folk dances and xatonades (traditional local salad served with assorted omelets) are also characteristic carnival elements. The two most important moments are the Rua de la Disbauxa, or the Debauchery Parade, on Sunday night and the Rua de l'Extermini, or Extermination Parade, on Tuesday night. Some forty-odd floats with more than 2,000 participants fill Sitges.

Main sights

Small sculptures on the Maricel Museum
Carrer d'en Bosch, a street in Sitges
17th century seaside church of Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla
La Davallada street
The main beach in May, in the background the church of Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla
  • Church of Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla (17th century). It houses two Gothic sepulchres (1317 and 1322), belonging to the an older church located on the same site. The baptistery has paintings from Pere Pruna, while the high altar has a Renaissance retablo (1499).
  • Cau Ferrat Museum, the house-cum-studio of artist and writer Santiago Rusiñol, one of the leading figures of Catalan Modernisme.
  • Palau Maricel built by the American Charles Deering to house his art collection in an attempt to copy the precedent set by Cau Ferrat. In 1921 Deering returned to the U.S. and the palace was emptied. In 1969 however, the building regained the use to which it had seemed destined since its creation, by welcoming a major private collection, mostly dedicated to medieval art.
  • Museu Romàntic "Can Llopis", reproducing the lifestyle of a family of Catalan householders during the years of Romanticism.

Gastronomy

Xató is Sitges' most typical dish. Its first recorded mention is in local newspaper Eco de Sitges report on Maundy Thursday, published on 16 February 1896. The report refers to a meal that three days before had gathered together a selected group of Catalan artists and intellectuals, including Santiago Rusiñol, Miquel Utrillo and Gaietà Buigas. The name “xató” comes from an expression pronounced years before by Canudas, a member of the Rusiñol's group.

The main ingredients of xató are endive salad, cod, tuna, anchovies, aubergine and black olives. However, the essence of the dish is its sauce, made with scalded chillies, toasted almonds, garlic, olive oil, salt, vinegar and hot peppers. The complete xató meal consists of some different omelettes or fricandó (a typical Catalan hot meal) and as a dessert, coca de llardons (typical Catalan cake, made from pork scratchings), served with a bottle of Penedès black wine.

Sitges cuisine includes many Catalan sailors' dishes such as rice Sitges style, stewed sepia with potatoes and allioli (Catalan garlic sauce), bull de tonyina (made with tuna fish), fideuada (similar to paella, but with noodles and seafood) or stuffed peppers with cod.

Malvasia is a delicate liquor wine served in Sitges, primarily with dessert. The name “malvasia” comes from the Peloponnesian port Monembasía. In Sitges, the Hospital Sant Joan Baptista continues producing and marketing malvasia according to the traditional method from its own vines and within its own cellars. The proceeds go to charity. The annual production is approximately 4,000 bottles.

Beaches

Sitges has 17 sand beaches. Four of them are in the East: the first one called Les Botigues at the beginning of the coast, next to the beaches of Castelldefels and the other three are following the coast of Garraf (Road C-31). One of them is Garraf village beach.

There are eleven beaches in the town and two to its west, which are difficult to access.

All the eastern and urban beaches have flags indicating the state of the sea and most of them have quality diplomas and blue flags awarded by the European Union.

Sister cities

Motor racing

Sitges 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 banked Autodromo Sitges Terramar, which is still visible at 41°14′18.35″N 1°46′50.20″E / 41.2384306°N 1.7806111°E / 41.2384306; 1.7806111. Albert Divo won the only Spanish Grand Prix held at the banked 'Sitges Terramar' driving a Sunbeam.

Notable residents

See also

References

  1. ^ Michael Euade, Catalonia, A Cultural Guide Oxford University Press, 2008
  2. ^ Boyd, Mark (August 2011). "Sitges is Hot Property". blog.lucasfox.com. lucasfox.com. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  • 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).
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