Esparreguera

Esparreguera ("Catalan:Esparreguera", "Spanish:Esparraguera") is a town in Catalonia, in the province of Barcelona, Spain. It is situated in the comarca of el Baix Llobregat.

18,708 inhabitants in 2002.

Esparreguera is famous in Catalonia for staging a grand version of the play 'Life and Passion of Jesus Christ' every year in March and April, on the Sundays before and after Easter. The play is popularly known as 'La passió' http://www.lapassio.net/. Over 300 actors, 50 technicians and 100 musicians participate in the play during five acts, twenty scenographic settings and more than five hours of drama, from the election of the apostles until the resurrection of Jesus.

The grand scale of the show is achieved with the volunteer contribution of the citizens of the town, in a tradition that dates back to Esparreguera's medieval origins. This tradition has made Esparreguera one of the craddles of Catalan performing arts, giving birth to actors such as the sisters Anna and Lola Lizaran, or the contemporary dancer Ramon Oller .