Sant Andreu de Palomar

Sant Andreu de Palomar church

Sant Andreu de Palomar is a neighbourhood of Barcelona. It's the oldest part of the Sant Andreu district. It was an independent old town with over 1,000 years of recorded history before being annexed to Barcelona on 20 April 1897.

It has an area of 174 hectares and has a population of about 55,000 inhabitants. Its boundaries are: the street Rovira i Virgili, old Riera de Horta, Passeig de Santa Coloma, the Meridiana Avenue and the railroad tracks.

History:

Around the 8th century, in a document of towns near Barcelona, Sant Andreu de Palomar was mentioned. It is known that there have been three religious buildings in the history of the town (all Roman Catholic): the primitive "Ermita de San Andres", Hermitage of the Segadors (reapers in English, named after the revolt of the reapers of the Catalan peasants against the Hispanic monarchy) which is currently abandoned and the church of Sant Andreu which continues today. Siemore was a town of peasants, considered by the ancient citizens of Barcelona as "poor peasants." With the New Plant Decrees (made by Philip V to eliminate the Catalan language, culture and institutions) he made the town of San Andres de Palomar official (in Spanish, for the elimination of the Catalan language)

In the 19th century, during the industrial revolution, the famous Fabra i Coats textile factory came into operation. At the end of the 19th century, it was annexed by Barcelona. In the 20th century, urbanization began following the Cerdà urban plan. Here, an army barracks was installed, which was taken by the anarcho-syndicalists in the civil war. During Franco's dictatorship, a large part of its territory was taken away, creating the Nou Barris district (nine neighborhoods). In the 21st century, it became a highly sought-after place to live, thanks to its neighborhood atmosphere (many describe it as a village atmosphere), the beauty of the old town (the best preserved of the old towns in Barcelona).

In recent years, a strong independence feeling emerged within the town, defending that Sant Andreu has to be a town again (it is the most marked independence feeling of the old’s towns of Barcelona). During the patron saint festivities, in the church, a banner is displayed that says SANT ANDREU IS NOT BARCELONA. In 2015, a referendum was held where 93% of the inhabitants over 18 years of age voted and it came out that 83% wanted independence.