Muntanyola
![Coat of arms of Muntanyola](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Escudo_de_Montanyola_%28Barcelona%29.svg/74px-Escudo_de_Montanyola_%28Barcelona%29.svg.png)
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Muntanyola (Catalan pronunciation: [muntəˈɲɔlə]) is a municipality in the comarca of Osona, Catalonia, northern Spain.
General description
The village of Muntanyola is a-typical in that it does not have a center. 75% of the municipality's area consists of forested hills between 650 and 1000 m. altitude, with scattered farms and fields. The build-up area is in the higher elevations and mainly consists of two real estate developments - in Spanish: 'urbanizations' - called Muntanyola and Fontanelles, respectively. Both these neighbourhoods consist of lanes with upmarket free-standing villa's with large gardens. Centrally located in the 'Muntanyola urbanization' are the school, a tennis court, sports hall, swimming pool, playground and restaurant. The church and town hall stand rather isolated in the hills on the northern side of the Muntanyola-development. The municipality also includes the old hamlet of Múnter in its lower elevations, sloping down to the Plain of Vic (Plana de Vic). The municipality is also odd in that its territory consists of four non-contiguous areas, i.e. a main area with three exclaves. Muntanyola, Fontanelles and Múnter are all in the main area, but Múnter can be reached from Muntanyola by a rural path or via the territory of the adjacent municipality of Tona
Population and economy
The current structure of the municipality is reflected in its population curve. From 1900-1950 the population remained stable between 400 and 450 people, sharply decreasing from the 1960s with only 171 people remaining in the early 1990s. This decrease is likely due to people moving away from isolated farms. Starting in the 1990s, a sharp increase takes place to 568 in 2011, simultaneously with a 2.5-fold increase in the number of homes: undoubtedly due to the construction of both 'urbanizations'.[2]
The economy of Muntanyola is based on rainfed agriculture, forestry and cattle raising for the sausage industry. There are more than 10,000 pigs in Muntanyola. Tourism is not a major source of income.
History
Muntanyola and Múnter are very old. The church of St. Quiricus and St. Julietta of Muntanyola was first documented in 938. The current church (on the same location) is from the 17th century, built and decorated with the simple forms of the Spanish Baroque. It holds some baroque paintings. The hamlet of Múnter and its church of St. Stephen appeared in documents for the first time in 929 under the name villa de Montari. Both churches are the main places of interest in the municipality. Múnter also had a castle on a small hill close to the church. Of this castle only a ruined wall segment remains.
References
- ^ "Ajuntament de Muntanyola". Generalitat of Catalonia. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
- ^ a b "El municipi en xifres: Muntanyola". Statistical Institute of Catalonia. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
- ^ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
- 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).
External links
- Official page of the municipality
- Government data pages (in Catalan)
- v
- t
- e
- Alpens
- Balenyà
- El Brull
- Calldetenes
- Centelles
- Espinelves
- L'Esquirol
- Folgueroles
- Gurb
- Lluçà
- Malla
- Manlleu
- Les Masies de Roda
- Les Masies de Voltregà
- Montesquiu
- Muntanyola
- Olost
- Oristà
- Orís
- Perafita
- Prats de Lluçanès
- Roda de Ter
- Rupit i Pruit
- Sant Agustí de Lluçanès
- Sant Bartomeu del Grau
- Sant Boi de Lluçanès
- Sant Hipòlit de Voltregà
- Sant Julià de Vilatorta
- Sant Martí d'Albars
- Sant Martí de Centelles
- Sant Pere de Torelló
- Sant Quirze de Besora
- Sant Sadurní d'Osormort
- Sant Vicenç de Torelló
- Santa Cecília de Voltregà
- Santa Eugènia de Berga
- Santa Eulàlia de Riuprimer
- Santa Maria de Besora
- Seva
- Sobremunt
- Sora
- Taradell
- Tavertet
- Tavèrnoles
- Tona
- Torelló
- Vic
- Vidrà
- Viladrau
- Vilanova de Sau
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