El Vendrell

El Vendrell, the capital of the El Baix Penedès region, has an area of 36.8 km2 and a population of 36,747 (year 2013). The beaches of Sant Salvador, Coma-ruga, and El Francàs are part of the municipality of El Vendrell and are located about 3.5 km from its historic center.

We will start the visit at the França Bridge, inaugurated in 1888 and built from irregular stones (wall stones). It consists of three semi-circular arches supported by walls of irregular stone blocks. Above the arches, there is a stone railing with a cornice at both the top and bottom. Previously, the bridge served as a type of free zone, meaning that to access the town and pass goods, a tax had to be paid. The consumeros were the people in charge of collecting this tax.

We will continue the visit by passing by the house of the Portal del Pardo, located at the end of Calle Major and at the beginning of Calle de les Quatre Fonts, whose portal is part of the ancient wall. The entire building is a magnificent Renaissance house (residential house from the 16th-17th centuries). Part of the facade is adorned with 18th-century sgraffito, which is quite deteriorated. Currently, it serves as the headquarters of the museum and the Fundació Apel•les Fenosa.

Next, we will head to the plaza Vella, where the archpriest church of the Transfigured Savior is located. The temple, in Baroque style, was fully reconstructed between 1732 and 1739. It is a three-nave building with lateral chapels, a transept, and a dome. The main facade, designed by Pere Cañelles in 1786, stands out on the exterior. The entire portico is dedicated to the town's patrons: Saint Anne and Saint Salvador, and at the top, the Transfiguration of Christ is depicted. Next to it is the square-based bell tower with an octagonal body, built in 1769. It is topped by a weather vane known as the angel of Tobies, created by the silversmith Josep Romeu in 1784, which has become the town's emblem. Inside the church, the main altar in the form of a baldachin, created by Josep Mª Jujol, stands out. The most notable element of the temple is the Baroque organ, located in the choir, which maestro Pablo Casals began to play when he was nine years old. It was built in 1777 by Swiss organist Luis Scherrer. This instrument is one of the few pieces of its kind that are preserved in Catalonia. Before leaving the church, we can see the baptismal font, which has remained intact because it was moved during the Civil War and saved.

We will continue our tour to the plaza Nova, which was built in 1794 after the wall was demolished. Although the surrounding space is rectangular, the square resembles a cello. Several buildings in the noucentist style stand out. At one end, we will see the monument in memory of the town's favorite son, Pablo Casals, created by sculptor Viladomat and inaugurated in 1985. Behind it is Cal Rabassó, which currently houses the Museo Deu, a space where pieces from a wide and varied art collection, donated by notary Mr. Antoni Deu, are exhibited, including carpets, drawings, paintings, glass, sculptures, and religious carvings.

Upon leaving, we invite you to discover the world of Pau Casals through a life journey that brings us to his birthplace, which retains the ambiance of a late 19th-century home, where you will learn about the humble family environment in which Pau Casals spent the early years of his childhood. Next door is the Casa Museo Àngel Guimerà, the writer and playwright who arrived in El Vendrell at the age of 8 and lived in the ancestral home of the Guimeràs, Cal Ximet, where he spent his entire childhood and adolescence.

We can continue the walk through the historic center, where buildings such as the Municipal Market, designed by Ramon Salas Ricomà and inaugurated in 1887, can be found; the train station, which first passed through the town on June 22, 1864 (currently, there is also a civic center), and the old library, created by the Mancomunitat de Catalunya and inaugurated on October 17, 1920, as well as several emblematic houses, such as Cal Miquelot, built in 1917 (the old building was a bastion that was part of the old wall; currently, there is a pharmacy). The itinerary can be complemented with a visit to the tomb of Pablo Casals, located in the cemetery, where his remains arrived from Puerto Rico in 1979, the place where he died in 1973.

To conclude the visit to the old town of El Vendrell, we will go to the Castellers monument, created by Josep Cañas (inaugurated in 1976), a sculpture that shows us a four of eight, made of Ulldecona limestone.

Another must-visit in the municipality is Sant Vicenç de Calders (village), situated on top of a hill 100 m high. It consists of a group of 18th-century houses around the plaza Major, featuring the old town hall and the church of San Vicente, which was inaugurated at the end of the 18th century. The facade consists of a portico dated 1781, with an arch shape and two attached pilasters connected by a crossbeam, a frieze, and a pediment with the figure of Saint Vicente. The bell tower is shaped like a little chair and has two semi-circular windows that house the bell.

It is recommended to take a stroll through the village streets to admire the houses, which mostly have foundations built on the rock. We cannot leave without visiting the press of libra, now a functioning museum piece. The construction of this press was commissioned in 1853 and currently operates only on exceptional occasions, but it was regularly used to produce wine and oil until the 1960s.

What not to miss?
– The Xatonada Popular (the first Sunday of February; highlights include the Exhibition of Children’s Xatonaires and the Masters Xatonaires Contest)
– Organ concerts at the archpriest church (throughout the year)
– Pa Beneit Festival (held the first week of July. It is a medieval festival of religious origin in which, centuries ago, old flour was blessed before harvesting the new wheat)
– Major Festival (for Saint Anne; especially the events on the patron saint's day, July 26)
– Major Festival of Sant Vicenç de Calders (the first Saturday of August)
– Santa Teresa Fair (in mid-October)

Where can you find local products?
– Formatgeria Marvall http://www.marvall.com
– Eric Castro Creus ericcreus@gmail.com
– Agrobotiga - Agricultural Cooperative of El Vendrell
– L’Hort de la Tona http://www.hortdelatona.com

What wineries can you visit?
– Celler Avgvstvs Forvm http://www.avgvstvsforvm.com/
– Celler Jané Ventura http://janeventura.com/?lang=en
– Celler Masia Barthomeus http://www.barthomeus.com/

More information:
http://turisme.baixpenedes.cat/index.php/gastronomia/2013-07-01-08-56-44

Recommendations:
Before starting the visit, you can head to the Centre de Iniciatives i Turisme del Vendrell (CIT), located at Doctor Robert Road, 33. Thus, if you have any questions or need additional information, they will provide all types of details or support materials to make your visit to the town comfortably.

171973