Tortosa

For the city in Syria called Tortosa during the crusades, see Tartus.

Tortosa
Municipality
Flag Coat of arms
Tortosa Location in Catalonia
Coordinates: 40°48′46″N 0°31′24″E
Country	Spain
Community	Catalonia
Province	Tarragona
Comarca	Baix Ebre
Government
• Mayor	Jordi Jordan Farnós (2023)
Area
• Total	218.5 km2 (84.4 sq mi)
Elevation	12 m (39 ft)
Population  (2018)
• Total	33,510
• Density	150/km2 (400/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Tortosí, tortosina
Climate	Csa
Website	tortosa.cat

Ebro river in Tortosa

Tortosa (Northwestern Catalan: [toɾˈtoza], Spanish: [toɾˈtosa] ) is the capital of the comarca of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain.

Tortosa is located at 12 metres (39 feet) above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buinaca, one of the highest peaks, is located within Tortosa's municipal boundary.

Before Tortosa, across the river, rise the massive Ports de Tortosa-Beseit mountains. The area around Mont Caro and other high summits are often covered with snow in the winter.

Population centres

• Bítem, 1.139; includes Santa Rosa
• Campredó, 1.168;
• Jesús, 3.755
• Els Reguers, 679
• Tortosa, 27.131
• Vinallop, 363, includes Mianes

The municipality includes a small exclave to the west.

History

Tortosa (from Latin: Dertusa or Dertosa, via Arabic: طرطوشة Ṭurṭūshah) is probably identical to the ancient Hibera, capital of Ilercavonia. This may be the ancient settlement the remains of which have been found on the hill named Castillo de la Zuda. In Roman times, the town took the name Dertosa (Ancient Greek: Δέρτωσσα).

Tortosa was occupied in about 714, during the Arab conquest of the Visigothic Kingdom. It remained under Muslim rule for more than 400 years. King Louis the Pious laid siege to Tortosa in 808–809, but although the city submitted he did not manage to occupy it.

The city was conquered by the Count Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona in 1148, as part of the Second Crusade. Because of the crusading appeal made by Pope Eugene III and his representative Nicholas Brakespear (the future Pope Hadrian IV), the siege received the aid of crusaders from multiple nationalities (Genovese, Anglo-Normans, Normans, Occitans, Germans, Flemish and Dutch), who were on their way to the Holy Land. The siege of Tortosa was narrated by the Genovese chronicler and diplomat Caffaro.

After its conquest, the city and its territory were divided among the victors, with multiple lands being granted to foreign crusaders and to the military and religious orders.

Formerly there was a railway line between Tortosa and Alcañiz, opening a communication gate between this region and Aragon. Construction work began in 1891, but it was haphazard and the first trains between Alcañiz and Tortosa began only in 1942. The last stretch between Tortosa and Sant Carles de la Ràpita was never completed before the line was terminated by Renfe in 1973.

Main sights

• Castle of Sant Joan, or Suda, commanding the city from a 59-metre-high (194-foot) hill. Though the Romans were the first to fortify the place, the current structure dates to Muslim Caliph Abd ar-Rahman III. After the conquest by Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona, in 1148, it became a residence of the Montcada and the Knights Templar, and from the 13th century it became a royal mansion.
• The Cathedral, begun in 1347 and consecrated in 1597.
• Bishop Palace.
• The Royal Schools. Founded by Charles V for the education of the Moors, are one of the best examples of Renaissance civil architecture in Catalonia. The architectural known as the Royal Colleges will consist of three buildings:
  • The College of Sant Jaume i Sant Maties (it currently houses the local historical archive of Baix Ebre),
  • the College of Sant Domènec i Sant Jordi,
  • the church of Sant Domènec (now the Renaissance Interpretation Centre).
• Convent of Santa Clara, founded in 1283.
• The Rose street: Despuig Palace (14th century), Oriol Palace and Capmany Palace.
• Oliver de Boteller Palace (15th century)
• Walls and fortresses: Tenasses, Sitjar, Orleans...
• Architecture of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: Municipal market, the old municipal slaughterhouse (Museum of Tortosa), Montagut Palace, house Pilar Fontanet, Temple of Repair, house Lamote (Siboni), house Brunet, Sabate clinic, house Ballester, house Bernardo Grego, house Pallares, house Camós, house Llorca, Teodoro González municipal park, etc.
• Air-raid shelter number 4 (Spanish Civil War) in Ernest Hemingway Street.

Museums

• Tortosa Cathedral and the permanent exhibition.
• The Museum of Tortosa.
• The Prince's Gardens, Santiago de Santiago's outdoor Sculpture Museum.
• The Renaissance Interpretation Centre (Church of Sant Domènec-The Royal Schools)
• The Holy Week Interpretation Center (Centre d'Interpretació de la Setmana Santa) is located in St. Anthony Abbot's Church.

Tortosa, city of the Renaissance

• Tortosa Renaissance Festival. Over 3,000 citizens in period costumes and 60 shows a day with over 500 actors transport us to the Tortosa of 500 years ago. In the second half of July, Tortosa celebrates the Renaissance Festival. Under the title the Splendour of a 16th Century City, the Festival commemorates, through a wide range of cultural and recreational activities, the historical period of the 16th century, one of the most interesting periods in our city's existence.

Declared Fiesta of National Tourist Interest of Spain (2005).

Nature park (Biosphere reserve)

• Ports de Tortosa-Beseit. This mountains that lie between Catalonia, Valencia and Aragon, are part of a limestone massif, characterised by its abrupt cliff faces, which has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times.
• Ebro Delta.

International relations

Twin towns — sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Spain

Tortosa is twinned with:

• Avignon, France (1968)
• Alcañiz, Spain (1972)
• Vercelli, Italy (2003)
• Le Puy-en-Velay, France (2005)
• Tartus, Syria (2007)

Demography

Historical population of Tortosa

Year	1991	1996	2001	2004
Population	29,452	30,088	28,933	31,979

Climate

Tortosa has a hot-summer mediterranean climate (Csa) in the Köppen climate classification. Tortosa enjoys a very warm climate for its latitude. Even considering it's located at miles inland from the coastline, this mostly happens because the city lies on the delta of the Ebro river, which acts as a natural barrier against cold fronts. Albeit being a Mediterranean climate, winter months have less precipitation than autumn (common pattern in eastern Spain), but there is still a substantial summer drought.

hideClimate data for Tortosa 50m (1981-2010). Extremes (1920-)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	28.1 (82.6)	26.3 (79.3)	32.5 (90.5)	33.9 (93.0)	36.0 (96.8)	39.6 (103.3)	43.0 (109.4)	41.1 (106.0)	41.4 (106.5)	34.5 (94.1)	28.2 (82.8)	25.6 (78.1)	43.0 (109.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	14.6 (58.3)	16.4 (61.5)	19.5 (67.1)	21.5 (70.7)	24.9 (76.8)	29.4 (84.9)	32.2 (90.0)	32.3 (90.1)	28.8 (83.8)	24.0 (75.2)	18.4 (65.1)	14.9 (58.8)	23.1 (73.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)	10.1 (50.2)	11.2 (52.2)	13.8 (56.8)	15.8 (60.4)	19.2 (66.6)	23.4 (74.1)	26.3 (79.3)	26.5 (79.7)	23.2 (73.8)	18.8 (65.8)	13.9 (57.0)	10.6 (51.1)	17.7 (63.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	5.6 (42.1)	6.0 (42.8)	8.1 (46.6)	10.1 (50.2)	13.4 (56.1)	17.5 (63.5)	20.3 (68.5)	20.6 (69.1)	17.5 (63.5)	13.6 (56.5)	9.3 (48.7)	6.3 (43.3)	12.4 (54.3)
Record low °C (°F)	−5.0 (23.0)	−6.4 (20.5)	−2.5 (27.5)	0.1 (32.2)	3.8 (38.8)	9.2 (48.6)	12.4 (54.3)	12.4 (54.3)	9.1 (48.4)	3.6 (38.5)	−2.0 (28.4)	−3.8 (25.2)	−6.4 (20.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	33 (1.3)	28 (1.1)	30 (1.2)	48 (1.9)	58 (2.3)	25 (1.0)	15 (0.6)	33 (1.3)	59 (2.3)	78 (3.1)	60 (2.4)	41 (1.6)	508 (20.0)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm)	4	4	3	5	6	3	2	3	5	6	5	4	50
Average relative humidity (%)	65	63	60	59	60	58	57	60	64	68	67	67	62
Mean monthly sunshine hours	163	167	211	230	257	292	329	283	225	192	162	155	2,662
Source: Agencia Estatal de Meteorología

Notable people

• Ibrahim ibn Yaqub (fl.961-962), traveler and merchant
• Pope Adrian VI (Utrecht, 1459 – Rome, 1523) was Pope of the Catholic Church (1522–1523) and Bishop of Tortosa (1516–1522).
• Francesc Vicent Garcia was an early modern Catalan poet known by the pseudonym of the Vallfogona Rector.
• Pedro de Alberní, was a soldier and discovered Port Alberni (Canada).
• Ramón Cabrera y Griñó (Tortosa, 1806 – Wentworth, 1877) was a Carlist general.
• Manuel Domingo y Sol (Tortosa, 1836 – 1909) was a Roman Catholic priest.
• Felipe Pedrell (Tortosa, 1841 – Barcelona, 1922) was a composer, guitarist and musicologist.
• Jaume Ferran i Clua was a Spanish bacteriologist and sanitarian who lived and worked in Tortosa.
• Agustí Querol Subirats (Tortosa, 1860 – Madrid, 1909) was a prominent sculptor.
• Rafael Vidiella (Tortosa, 1890 – Barcelona, 1982) was a trade unionist and communist politician.

See also

Battle of Dertosa Dertosa Taifa of Tortosa Shem-Tob ben Isaac of Tortosa Bishop of Tortosa Roman Catholic Diocese of Tortosa Disputation of Tortosa

Siege of Tortosa (1708) Siege of Tortosa (1810-11) Tortosa Pact Battle of the Ebro (Spanish Civil War) CD Tortosa, football team

Bibliography

• Antoni Virgili, "Angli cum multis aliis alienigenis: crusade settlers in Tortosa (second half of the twelfth century)," Journal of Medieval History, 35,3 (2009), 297–312.

External links

• Official website (in Catalan)
• Discover Terres de l'Ebre Reserva de la Biosfera (Official website)
• Government data pages (in Catalan)