La Jonquera

infobox catalan city
title=La Jonquera
location_

province=Girona
comarca=Alt Empordà
population=3,075
population_year=2007
area=56.93
population_density=54.01
elevation=110
demonym=Jonquerenc, jonquerenca
mayor=Jordi Cabezas i Llobet

La Jonquera is a municipality in the "comarca" of l'Alt Empordà, in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated just by the border with France.

The area has always been an important pass through the Pyrenees. A contemporary motorway runs not far from the ancient Roman road, the "Via Augusta". Not far from there is an altar erected by Pompey at the Coll de Panissars.

The Catalan army defeated there the retreating French crusaders in 1285.

Interesting places

* Church of Santa Maria.
* Ruins of Santa Maria de Panissars (mediaeval Benedictine monastery), in the coll de Panissars.
* Ruins of the castell de Rocabertí.
* Castell de Canadal, with the church of Santa Cristina or Sant Jaume de Canadal (c. IX).
* Romanesque churches (Sant Pere del Pla de l'Arca and Sant Martí del Forn del Vidre (X century), and Santa Llúcia, Sant Miquel de Solans and Sant Julià dels Torts (XII century).
* Porta Catalana (work of Josep Lluís Sert), in the border.
* Several megalithic monuments (dolmens and menhirs).

Demography

infobox catalan municipio demography
pop_1900=1588
pop_1930=1273
pop_1950=1199
pop_1970=1964
pop_1986=2582
pop_latest=3075
latest_year=2007

References

* 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

* [http://www.lajonquera.cat Ajuntament de La Jonquera]
* [http://www.municat.net:8000/omunicat/owa/mun_p01.dad_ens?via=1&cod=1708650006 Information - Generalitat de Catalunya]
* [http://www.idescat.cat/territ/BasicTerr?TC=3&V0=1&V1=17086 Statistical information - Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya]