Gandesa Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Gandesa is a town of 3000 people (2018) in Tarragona (province). Land of vineyards, olive trees and almond trees. The Ebro Way of St. James crosses the city.

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Map of Gandesa

The origin of Gandesa can be found in an Arab settlement, in the year 1153, when Ramon Berenguer IV granted it a charter of citizenship, as the lands known as New Catalonia for the recovery of the lands of the Principality from the Moors. In the year 1194, the charter of population was granted to Gandesa, considered the foundation of the town. Two years later, construction began on the Romanesque church.

In July 1938, the well-known Battle of the Ebro took place. This was the bloodiest battle of the Spanish Civil War, where more than one hundred thousand people lost their lives.

• 41.0545520.4391121 Tourist office (Oficina de turisme i CEBE), Av. Catalunya 3-5, ☏ +34 977 420 910, [email protected]. Tu-Su 10:00-13:30, Tu-Sa 16:00-18:30. (updated Apr 2025)

• 41.0574470.4409161 Gandesa central bus station (Estació d’autobusos de Gandesa), Av. Catalunya, núm. 41, ☏ +34 977 420 270. La Hispano Igualadina (Tarragona-Falset-Gandesa) (updated Apr 2025)

The city is an important point in terms of roads, since in Roman times, communications between Catalonia, Aragon and the Valencian Country crossed here. Gandesa is connected by the N-420 and C-43 roads.

• Agricultural Cooperative: it is a modernist building that was built in 1919 by Cèsar Martinell. The building consists of three parallel rectangular naves of different heights. The most defining elements of this construction are the brick and the Catalan vault. It was declared a “Cultural Property of Interest” by the Generalitat de Catalunya in 2007. The building has always been used for wine production.
• Terra Alta Regional Archive
• Church of the Virgin Mary of the Assumption: It is one of the most important buildings in the town. It is a Romanesque building of transition to Gothic with an exceptional portal from the School of Lleida. During a 17th-century renovation, its orientation was changed, it was made taller and a 40-metre-high bell tower was added.
• Centre for Studies of the Battle of the Ebro (CEBE): It is the main museum in the Terra Alta on the Spanish Civil War where the events of the Battle of the Ebro are explained.
• Fonda Pere Manyà: In Plaça de la Farola is the Fonda de Pere Manyà. A building from 1868. The entire facade received several impacts during the Civil War
• Palau del Castellà: A building of Templar origin. In the past, it was completely isolated from the rest by a defensive moat, now lost. Wooden pulleys can be seen that are preserved on the door, which show the existence of a possible drawbridge. The building is better known as “the prison”. O April 18, 1834 Gandesa was named “head of the Judicial Party”, and because they did not have cells, they equipped the existing cells of the Palau del Castellà.
• Gandesa Town Hall: A noucentista building that preserves on its facade part of the previous chapel dedicated to Santa Anna that occupied its place.
• Cal Cerer: It is a house of Medieval origin. On the facade you can see the coat of arms of the house. One of the balconies and the windows preserve the original stone.
• Ca Sol: Building built in 1912, in the modernist style. The undulations, decorations with moldings and floral reliefs on the windows are the most characteristic of the construction.
• Cal Pardo: Its low floors make the old manor house, which is being restored as of Apr 2025, characteristic. Even today, you can see the utensils they used to work the land, make bread during the pig slaughter.
• Ca l'Inquistador: It was one of the most important Gothic palaces in the region. Over the years it underwent remodelling.
• Ca la Vila Vella: It is a Gothic building. Only a characteristic Gothic window, remains visible since the construction was partially absorbed with the expansion of the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption.
• Ca Sunyer: It is a medieval building of noble lineage, as can be seen in the coat of arms above the main door. Over the years, it has undergone many remodelings, but the knight's door and various characteristic windows are still preserved.
• Casa de Barons de Purroy: It is a Baroque palace from the 18th century, although the facade is an example of Renaissance architecture.

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