| We find the first definite
references to Sitges and its land in parchments and documents in archives
dating from the 10th century, when the County of Barcelona was expanding
across the south. In 990 a place called “Sitges” (the Silos) was already
mentioned. In that time many silos (cavities dug out of the ground to preserve
foodstuff) were discovered in between the ruins of the old Iberian and
Roman settlements. Such discoveries gave the name, first, to the area and
afterwards, to a castle and then to the village that progressively developed
around this castle. In the first half of the 11th century, the castles
of Sitges, Miralpeix and Campdàsens were already mentioned in some
documents, and in the 12th century, the Monastery of Garraf as well. Each
castle had its feudal Lord. However, during the 14th and 15th centuries,
the Pia Almonia of the See of Barcelona obtained the dominion of these
castles and land, which nowadays constitute the municipal area of Sitges.
At that time Sitges was already
a village, and was the only village situated near the sea between Barcelona
and Tarragona. The village was surrounded by walls. Its inhabitants cultivated
vineyards and they devoted themselves to the active maritime trade around
the Mediterranean Sea. They imported from the Greek island of Monembàsia
the variety of grape that we call malvasia, which would make Sitges famous.
Wars and plagues seriously
affected the village. Nevertheless, at about the end of the 16th century,
Sitgetan people began to increase their vineyard cultivations, especially
malvasia, up to the point that Sitges became one of the first villages
to have a competitive farming market. Sitges counted on its own merchant
fleet, which practically provided employment for half of the population.
In the 18th century Sitges
began to trade with America. During that period vineyard cultivations tremendously
increased. In consequence, forests were cut down and strips of land were
cultivated. The emigration to America began. As a result, the village increased
its population. From those Sitgetan people who emigrated to America, a
few came back and built luxurious houses, which beautified, even more,
the streets of the village. The industrialization, a typical phenomenon
from the 19th century, meant the installation of some textile factories,
but which were short lived, and shoes factories, which lasted until our
the 1970´s.
Already at the end of the
19th century, Sitges cultural richness was based on its local social entities,
its theatres, its musical bands, its chorales, etc., and a beautiful landscape,
which has captivated so many painters of the Light School. In the last
decade of the 19th century the Catalan painter and writer Santiago Rusiñol
decided to take up residence in Sitges, in the famous Cau Ferrat, and to
celebrate here the so-called “Modernist Parties”. From that moment, the
wave of construction of summer residences began, and one of its greatest
exponents was the housing development in the Terramar area, which was built
during the 1920´s.
Continuous improvements in
communications such as the road to Barcelona in 1879, the railway line
in 1881 and the recent highway have boosted Sitges, though it has always
preserved its traditional character, its own historical roots, customs
and traditions.
Credits: X.Miret. Ajuntament
de Sitges.
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