ONCE UPON A TIME…Mora d’Ebre

MORA D’EBRE , THE RIBERA D’EBRE REGION AND A BRIEF GLIMPSE INTO THE LIVES OF TWO BRITISH RESIDENTS.

Jennifer Figuerola

Standing proudly on the banks of the Ebro and framed by the famous arched bridge, Mora d’Ebre has evolved into a bustling market town of 5000 inhabitants, its commodities serving many of the surrounding villages and hamlets.

Somehow there is a completely different atmosphere to any of the coastal resorts; yes there are plenty of bars and cafés, but the main focus is on the community and its needs, giving the town more of a sense of ‘normality’. Of historical interest, there is an Islamic castle and a convent, ‘Les Mínimes’.

The parish church of St John the Baptist is beautifully preserved. Like most settlements along the river, boats or canoes can be hired to meander up and down to see the scenery at its best with the backdrop of the mountains and the birds of prey circling overhead.
Other settlements in the region include Riba-Roja d’Ebre, La Palma d’Ebre, Flix, Vinebre, La Torre de L’Español, Ascó, Garcia, Darmós, La Serra d’Almos, Llaberia, Benissanet, Miravet, Ginestar, Tivissa and Rasquera. Mora d’Ebre is situated in the centre of the Ribera d’Ebre region, and as such is the region’s capital.

Directly across the river stands the smaller town of Mora La Nova, which came into being after the train station was built. The first train to stop at the station, from Reus, destination Zaragoza, was on 8 April, 1891. Gradually the town grew until becoming a municipality independent of Mora D’Ebre. The manor house, ‘Mas de la Coixa’, is an emblem of the town’s origins. It has also become very well-known for hosting the annual agricultural fair. Mora d’Ebre hosts the annual ‘Casafir’, every September.This is a hunters` fair, with archery, gundogs, displays, birds of prey , police dog displays and obstacle courses for dogs.

For Kath and Gary Jordan, this is their third year actually living in Mora dÈbre, just outside the town. They looked around the area for a couple of years before settling and absolutely love the area. They have around 11 large olive trees and 15 smaller ones, and Gary has just become the proud owner of half a very smart yellow tractor, with which he is clearing the land for more trees and other vegetables.

They moved here to be closer to their son and his family and have gradually filled their lives to the full. They love the fact that they don’t live on the coast and are bombarded by tourists every summer, yet the coast is a mere 25 mins drive away when they do want to go.

Beer is cheaper inland too!

Gary often wanders down to Club Nautica by the river in Mora. It’s one of his favourite dog walks, as there is a fabulous park there and surprisingly not well frequented, so boxer Nancy is free to roam to her heart’s content. Gary loves walking and motorbiking along the river route and Kath takes spanish lessons and is a member of the ladies’ group, Tiara, useful for all expats to get together for all sorts of reasons!

They have found the locals very friendly, with granddaughter Maisie providing a useful way of integration, as they met a lot of locals when taking her to school. Their spanish neighbours, Teresa and Pasqual Blanch and their children Rut, Isaac andMario, have been great despite the language barrier and are now firm friends. Mora hosts festivals throughout the year, which they enjoy, in fact the only gripe, if there is one, is the lack of live music in the area.

A musician himself, Gary finds this frustrating, but intends to investigate the problem further and actually do something about it. So watch this space for news of a venue with live music from the mandolin, banjo, guitar, bass guitar and violin. Too good to miss!
Returning to the subject of the historical attracitons of the region, I have simply provided an idea of what is where; a taster to prompt any interested parties to delve more deeply.

I begin with Riba-Roca. Historical sources in Riba-Roja date back to Neolithic times, as there are still remains of a settlement there, and other later remains of a Roman settlement. Parts of the ancient fortress are still there and the church, Sant Bertomeu dominates the square.

The hamlets Santa Madrona and Berrús are nearby and definitely worth a visit. At La Palma d’Ebre, the church of Santa Maria dates back to the 12th century, and it has recently been renovated. The village was built under the protection of the magnificent ‘Pi del Pino’, a gigantic pine tree, now itself protected by Cataluñan law. It is literally situated a hundred metres to the north along an old pathway, the Granadella lane. In the Town Hall, on the ground floor, there is an ancient medieval prison. Just on the outskirts there is ‘Font Vella’, an ancient fountain of Arab origin.

Flix is also of medieval origin, located on a hill overlooking the river Ebro. Industry has always been prominent here, principally the hydroelectric power station and the dam. Yet there are also many interesting historical features, namely the castle remains and the gothic temple of Santa Maria . Nearby is the Sebes Wildlife and Nature Reserve of some 204 hectares. It includes the nature area of Sebes, located above the dam, which has one of the largest reedbeds in Cataluña and a riverine forest.
There is a Meander area, around 5 km of protected river, with a river island below Flix castle. The area is rich in wildlife, both for nesting and migration and there have been sightings of more than 200 bird species. In 1175, King Alfonso gave a donation to the knight Español de Prades, and the settlement was apparently thus named La Torre de L’español.
High up in the hills, the village is rich in history, but a word of advice if you decide to visit, make it during the milder months. It can be bitterly cold in winter, with howling, relentless and very unforgiving winds, which are infinitely incompatible with wandering around and making a day of it, and most certainly if you brave it to the top of the Torno, where the views are stunning across most of the towns and villages of the whole Ribera d’Ebre region.

There is the Horta fountain, of Roman origin, and the Torrent fountain and the church is Neoclassical with beautiful detail in Baroque style. For a little place, it certainly holds its head up high in terms of historical interest.

Another town in the region with historical roots dating back to Neolithic times is Ascó. The streets are incredibly narrow in places, and overflowing with signs linking it to its Moorish history. Several Iberian settlements have been discovered in the surrounding area, and again, it is dominated by the classicist church, with a tower and a belfry.

Garcia is another settlement in the region, sitting on the confluence of the rivers Ebro and Siurana. There’s a large recreational area on the river banks popular with visitors for the natural beauty of the surroundings. The old church, although destroyed in the Civil War, is still standing and worth a look. Also of local interest is the hermitage of Santa Magdalena, protected by a huge boulder, which is directly above it. The views from here are breathtaking.

Darmós is an Arabic name, and although the church is beautiful, renovated in 1810, the main focus of the settlement is the Mata tree dominating its surroundings. It is a unique species and featured on the Darmós coat of arms.
The municipality of Tivissa comprises the four towns of Tivissa, La Serra d’Almos, Darmós and Llaberia. Tivissa itself has a rich historical heritage. There is the Iberian city of Castellet de Banyoles and the cave paintings of the Font Vilella ravine.

The oldest, smallest hamlet of all, Llaberia, lies 23km NW of Tivissa. From the hills above, some 912m, it becomes clear that this area dominates the Tarragona plains. The Romanesque church is surrounded by fountains, making it memorable and unique. Miravet, with the Knight’s Templar castle at the head, overlooking the village below, is steeped in history over many years of battles and strife.
It is perhaps the most picturesque of all the settlements, with houses set onto the cliffs and along the river, all with a story to tell. The ferry is an interesting way to approach the village, and the main square sits prettily on the riverside.
Ginestar houses the remains of one of the oldest towns in Cataluña, the ravine of Gàfols, built in the 7th century B.C. The church of Saint Marti, clearly visible from the road was built in the 18th century, as well as the Sant Isidre Hermitage, built in 1617, on the outskirts.

Finally, Rasquera, last but certainly not least to be mentioned, has two distinct parts. The town, ancient, with a centre that conserves the structure of a closed-in village surrounding a castle, and then the land. Local artisans handcraft their work using boxwood and palm, and in the Cardó mountain range, there is a yew forest.

Skimming through all of the above, for anyone interested in the history of the region, it seems that you could well have more than a few interesting days out ahead, exploring the villages and hamlets at your leisure.

Only one thing left to say really:

¡Disfrute!

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Posted by editor on 2010-04-06 Filed under History, March 2010. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry