MEETING GRANOLLERS

Location:

Granollers, capital of the eastern Vallès region (Vallès Oriental), is situated on the Vallès plain, which forms part of the pre-coastal Catalan depression, at an average height of 148 metres above sea level. Vallès Oriental is a region with a wide range of different aspects. Mountain areas combined with large valleys full of small hills, cultivated fields, streams, towns and cities.

A bit of history:

The first signs of life discovered in the Granollers area go back more than 4,000 years. The most important archaeological findings, however, are those of the Can Trullàs necropolis from the roman era. The first reference to the place name Granollers does not occur until 944, when it was referred to as ‘Granularios Subteriore’.From 1040 the first mention of the Granollers market appears.

Bombing of the 31 of May of 1938:

An account of the bombing that took place on 31st of May 1938; 30 explosive bombs and 10 incendiary devices were dropped in an attack by 5 Savoia-S 79 aircraft.Tuesday 31 May 1938 was an unexpectedly tragic day for the people of Granollers. 5 Savoia-S 79 aircraft flying in the direction of Barcelona altered their course and headed towards the capital of the eastern Vallès region. As the planes prepared to attack out of the clear sky, the city was going about its daily business.

People were hurrying to and fro at the start of the working day. People were queuing to buy their provisions. People were looking for a newspaper that would give them the latest news about the war. The citizens of Granollers, people who had just arrived from neighbouring towns or those who had been in the town for some time were all now busy in the streets of Granollers. At 9:05 a.m. and for one short minute, or put in another way, in a just one minute, which for many must have seemed eternal, pathetic, deafening, and bloody, the 5 planes spewed down their 30 explosive bombs and about 10 incendiary devices. 3 of these bombs were expansion bombs of the type that had been used for bombing Guernika in April 1937, and that sadly, would be employed on other occasions as well.

Trade in the town:

Granollers is today the major business centre in the eastern Vallès region. According to the Spanish Economic Annual Report published by the savings bank, La Caixa, there are 1,569 retail premises occupying a total space of 191,561 m2 and 406 wholesalers. The business community of Granollers currently plays a major role in the life of the city where it has become an important force for promoting social, cultural and sporting activities.

Thursday Market:

The Thursday market has been and continues to be a fundamental part of the life of Granollers and has played a vital role in its development. The city’s perfect location makes it a meeting point, suitable for all types of business transactions. The Thursday market is diversified and is held in various streets and squares around the centre of the city every Thursday of the year.

Visiting the most important buildings

La Porxada:

The monument most associated with the city was built between 1586 and 1587 as a result of a project entrusted by the Consell de la Vila (the Town Council) to the master builder Bartomeu Brufalt. La Porxada was initially designed as a corn exchange and cost 739 Barcelona pounds. The building is 24 metres long and 15.65 metres wide and consists of 15 Tuscan columns supporting a pyramidal tower roof.

The walls:

Building on the walls began in 1291 and they reached their full height between 1366 and 1380 under the reign of Pere III. They were demolished at the end of the 19th century but remains of the 16th century rebuilding have been conserved. The walls took the form of a hexagon and had eleven defensive towers with a walkway connecting them known as the corredossos. The five gatehouses were placed on the existing roads, and on top of each one was a chapel: the Barcelona gatehouse (Sant Cristòfol), the Caldes gatehouse (Santa Anna), the Corró gatehouse (Sant Antoni), the Bell-lloc gatehouse (Sant Roc) and the Roca gatehouse (Santa Esperança). When the walls were demolished the chapels were moved to the side of the road.

The bell tower of the parochial church of Sant Esteve:

This is the last vestige "in situ" of the old gothic church of Saint Stephen, built in the 15th century over a Romanesque building. The tower is 34 metres high and divided into three floors, the first floor is square shaped the others octagonal. It has large gothic, tri-lobed, tracery windows, topped by a balcony front with an interlacing motif. The Museu de Granollers (Granollers Museum) contains corbels and trestles from the original gothic church.

The Francesc Tarafa building:

This building is located in Corró Street and it was the site of the old hospital built by Bertran de Seva in the 14th and 15th centuries. It continued to be a centre for health care until 1844. The current building preserves the gothic structure of the old hospital and has a pitched roof supported by three diaphragm arches and wooden beams. It was redesigned in 1926 by Joaquim Raspall and converted into a library. The interior was decorated with a plant relief and modernist stained glass windows. Two gothic windows acquired from Felip Blanchart were fitted into the front of the building along with a rosetó (rose window).

The town hall:

The town hall is located opposite la Porxada and has gone through a great deal of changes since it was first built at the end of the 16th century to cope with the administrative needs of the time. Between 1902 and 1904, the architect Simó Cordomí totally redesigned the old building.