Mataró
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| Province | Barcelona |
| Comarca | Maresme |
| Population (2005) | 116,698 |
| Area | 22.57 km² |
| Population density (2005) |
5170 /km² |
| Elevation | 28 m |
| Demonym | Mataroní, mataronina |
 [[Maresme]] |
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Mataró (Latin: Iluro) is the capital and largest city of the comarca of the Maresme, in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia Autonomous Community, Spain. It is located on the Costa Maresme, to the south of Costa Brava.
Mataró dates back to Roman times when it was a village known as "Iluro" or "Illuro." The ruins of a first century BC Roman bath house (known locally as the Torre Llauder) were recently discovered and can be visited. The coastal N-II highway follows the same path as the original Roman road.
Mataró was declared a city by royal decree, even though at the time (nineteenth century) the population fell short of the requirement for city status.
The first railway in Spain was the Mataró – Barcelona line which opened on 1848-10-28, led by the Catalan businessman and Mataró native Miquel Biada. This line now forms part of the RENFE R1 suburban service between L'Hospitalet de Llobregat and Maçanet-Massanes. Mataró is also connected with Barcelona and Girona by the C-32 autopista (freeway) and with Granollers by the C-60 autopista.
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[edit] Agriculture
The traditional vineyards were devastated by Phylloxera in the nineteenth century and only partially replanted, due to the growth of the tourist industry and the development of irrigation in the area. Potatos were one of the first replacement crops to be introduced, especially the Royal Kidney variety, and Mataró obtained a Denominació d'Origen in 1932.[1] Trocadero lettuce and peas are also grown, mostly for export. The production of cut flowers is less important than in other towns of the Maresme. Irrigated land made up 913 ha of the 1057 ha of agricultural land in the municipality in 1986 (47% of the municipal territory).
[edit] Architecture
Mataró is the birth place of noucentista architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch (1867–1956), who designed the ajuntament (town hall) and several other notable buildings in the town:
- Casa Coll i Regàs
- Casa Parera
- Casa Sisternes
- El Rengle
- La Beneficiència
[edit] Demography
| 1900 | 1930 | 1950 | 1970 | 1986 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19,704 | 28,034 | 31,640 | 73,129 | 100,021 | 116,698 |
[edit] Reference
- ^ Source: Catalan Wikipedia. This Denominació d'Origen is not currently (2006) protected at European Union level (see list).
- 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).
[edit] External links
- Mataro Internet television (www.mataro.tv)
- Official site (in Catalan)
- Information from the Generalitat de Catalunya (in Catalan)
- Information from the Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya (in Catalan)
- Information from the Diputació de Barcelona (in Catalan)
- Mataró portal
- Municipal museum (virtual visit)
| edit | Municipalities of Maresme |  |
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Alella | Arenys de Mar | Arenys de Munt | Argentona | Cabrera de Mar | Cabrils | Caldes d'Estrac | Calella | Canet de Mar | Dosrius | Malgrat de Mar | El Masnou | Mataró | Montgat | Òrrius | Palafolls | Pineda de Mar | Premià de Dalt | Premià de Mar | Sant Andreu de Llavaneres | Sant Cebrià de Vallalta | Sant Iscle de Vallalta | Sant Pol de Mar | Sant Vicenç de Montalt | Santa Susanna | Teià | Tiana | Tordera | Vilassar de Dalt | Vilassar de Mar |
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