ONCE UPON A TIME- TORTOSA

by Jennifer Figuerola

Tortosa, is the capital of the Baix Ebre region of southern Tarragona. An attractive, historic town on the River Ebro, situated between high hills just above its delta, it now lays claim to a population of 36 000. Although classed as part of the Costa Dorada, Tortosa is actually situated in the middle of the fertile Catalonian plain of the Ebro and near to the delta.

It can be reached from the motorway, AP-7, via C42. Tarragona, 90km, Barcelona,150km away. Founded by the early Spanish peoples, the Iberians, Tortosa was originally named Dertosa, The Romans later rebuilt the city in the 10th century, building the original wall defences for the town The eight ancient town walls, great to wander along even today, are indicative of its strategic importance in the past.

The Moors held the town for four whole centuries, and it was the scene of many a battle as they struggled to maintain control of Catalonia. Originally, in AD914, they built a mosque, which was later destroyed to make way for the stunning Gothic cathedral we can see today. Work began on the cathedral in 1347, and took more than 200 years to be finished.

Much later, in the 18th century, a Baroque façade was added, and new benches for the choir were installed, carved intricately by Cristobal de Salamanca, between 1588 and 1593.Today, this is the old centre of Tortosa, by the river. The town has gradually grown, extended across the river and is ten times its original size, with a new town centre.
The Arabian castle, ‘La Suda’, is the first thing you notice on the approach to the town, at the highest point, rising up above the rest of the buildings, at night a magnificent sight. This stronghold dates back from the 10th century during the occupation of the Arabs, but incorporates part of a much earlier Roman acropolis. Around the castle are several subterranean galleries, housing the remains of an old mill and two ovens. Inside there is the well, ‘La Suda’, surrounded by four majestic Gothic windows.
Reconquered in 1147 by Count Ram ón Berenger, he rewarded the Templars by allowing them to live in the castle, a gesture of gratitude for their part in the battle and subsequent victory. In 1283, a huge conversion project got underway, the castle was significantly extended and turned into a Royal Palace.
Today the castle has been completely restored and refurbished and lives its life as a Parador. The furniture is all classic style, wooden beams have been maintained and the impressive Gothic windows restored. Interior decor retains features from different eras, with Christian and arab motifs and patterns as well as Royal features.
You can get a sense of how huge the castle actually is, when you consider that it houses 54 twin bedrooms, 8 Doubles and no less than 10 suites…….. surely fit for a King…………

To complete the ‘period’ effect, even the restaurant offers local dishes; ‘anguila en suc’, eels in juice, ’susquet de peix’, fish in sauce and ‘pastisets’ vermicelli cakes.
Other buildings of historic interest, are the Santa Maria Monastery and Santa Clara Convent, founded in 1283, Also worth a look is the Palau Episcopal and the Jardins del Princep, Prince Gardens, one of the town parks. This park currently houses the Outdoor Museum, with works by the sculptor, Santiago de Santiago.
Tortosa suffered badly during the Spanish Civil War, (1936- 1939), when the River Ebro literally formed the front line between the opposing forces; it was therefore attacked from all sides. After a bloody battle, at a cost of some 35 000 lives, the town eventually fell to Nationalist forces in April 1938. Much of the old town was destroyed, although some of the old buildings around the cathedral managed to escape and are still standing today.

The old Jewish quarter still exists, which actually dates right back to the 6th century. The Renaissance was also an important period, during the 16th century, signifying revival after 10 years of war from 1462- 1472, when Cataluña was battered and weakened. So strong is this patriotism among the Catalans, that even today, there is an annual festival, usually 23rd to 26th July, called ‘Festa de Renaixement’, when Tortosans relive this era. They don’t just throw on any old rags ; it is a far more serious, respectful and accurate re-enactment of good times gone by. They pay a good deal of attention to detail and dress up in the clothes of the period. Shopkeepers sell their wares on the streets outside their shops. The ‘pastisserias’ recreate traditional confectionary and cakes, such as Pope carob cake, or candied squash turnovers.

Many of the little squares and streets are transformed into taverns, offering food, ale entertainment and song. You can follow the ‘Route of the Twaite Shad’, meandering through the streets in the old part of town, doing a ‘tavern crawl’, sampling the ales, sobering up with a turnover, joining in with the ballads and clapping the jugglers and stilt walkers.

Definitely a three-day, non-stop experience not to be missed, packed with atmosphere, tradition, at the same time, bringing local history to life respectfully.
Each month I try to include an interview or chat with residents of the town or area, and frankly, this month I had just about given up hope of finding anyone from Tortosa. It’s not that I’m particularly shy, just that I haven’t had the fortune to meet anyone living in or from Tortosa yet. Or so I thought.

Despite having lived in Cataluña for only 9 months, I have met a fair few locals, with whom I can manage to have a chinwag, sometimes even a good old gas. It does wonders for my confidence. I’m not that bothered if I make inevitable mistakes , as they are now used to me blundering along. In my village, there is a stoic band of elderly residents who take their regular constitutions, rain or shine, are never in a hurry and always have something cheerful to say. Then there is Paco and Vincent, the ferrymen, who would be insulted if I didn’t brave the bitter winds and get out to chat.

Anyway, I now play with a Catalan country band, and only this week, found out that Susana, the wife of the band leader, guitarist Josep M. Bonet, is from Tortosa. I couldn’t believe my luck when she agreed to chat to me. Now living in L’Ampolla, we sat in her garden, in the afternoon sun out of the wind.

After the war, her parents moved to Tortosa from Castellón, and her father, Juan  Antó and his two brothers opened ‘Bobi’s’ motor shop. They lived in old, central Tortosa, behind the cathedral, where she was born. ‘It was so different then,’, she told me. ‘Nothing like the large, busy, integrated town it is today.

The street where I lived was more like a little village, each ‘barrio’ of Tortosa completely distinct from the next, and as such we lived very simple, yet safe lives. We rarely mixed with any kids from other areas of the town and were virtually self-sufficient with the shops on our street. There was a shoemaker, and right next door, a boot-maker, a transport company, a shop selling stoves and things like that, a pharmacy, and a general store.

There wasn’t a tabac; everyone smoked, and I remember there was an actual cigarette machine on the street! We would all be out playing in the street every night, sometimes until 10pm, until our parents opened the window and hollered down for us to go in.

No one thought about watching over or supervising us.

In all my childhood, I didn’t come into contact with trouble – drugs or drink. We were independant communities, all living under the umbrella of Tortosa, but really it was comparable to village life with village values. There was the Cathedral, and up the hill the Parador, the old castle, and then we had the river on each side, which naturally created zones within which we lived.’ They didn’t have a lot of space, and a few years down the line, there were 5 children in the family, plus her aunt, so they moved to a larger place, but in a rough area, at that time called Remolins.

‘he council decided they wanted to knock down all the buildings around the cathedral to enlarge the Plaça, and they made offers to the residents to relocate them. Not everyone took up the offer, and so the plan failed and the Plaça remained as it was. But this left many houses empty, and to fill them they were put back on the market very cheaply. The result?

Immigrants, Arabs, saw their chance and moved in, changing the ambiance of the area forever. The street behind the cathedral became ‘barrio de putas’, the crime rate rocketed, as did drug and drink related activities.

Gradually, more buildings and businesses sprung up all over the town, linking the barrios and destroying the tight knit communities and along with that, the community spirit. This was in the seventies, and things have obviously not returned to how they were, but they seem to have settled down a bit.
Having said that, I wouldn’t fancy walking the streets alone at night now, even at my age!’ ‘As for me personally,’ Susana continued, I got engaged to a boy, a neighbour in the barrio, when I was 18 and in 1980, we rented a flat and got married. I was 19.

We had two children, Erica and José Maria, but after 5 years we separated and eventually divorced. Later I met my present husband, Josep Maria Bonet, and moved to L’Ampolla in 1997.

We met, fell in love in 1986, and that was it for me. True love. He has adopted my son, as he is the person he knows as his father, as his biological father doesn’t want anything to do with him. When my son turned 18, he even wanted to change his surname to Josep’s, so we went to the judge. It was such an unusual thing, that the judge was unsure about the process, as he had never done this before. But we did it. I was so proud of him.’

Before I left, I asked her if she had any hobbies as a child. ‘Yes, indeed,’ she replied. My first husband and my father, Juan Ant , were President and Vice-President ó of the Tortosa Fishing Association and as a child, I always went fishing with my Dad, even when he went on camping trips. I became very good, and began entering competitions. I won many prizes.’ She went inside and returned with just a few of her many treasured trophies.

They were all engraved: ‘Concurso Infantil de pesca deportiva con caña, Rio Ebro Tortosa, 8/9/73. Then she had ones for the ladies: Concurso femenina, Maritimo Sociol’.
‘I gave it up when I married my first husband, but I had a ball,’ she smiled. ‘Up early, ready to start for 7am, often night matches… there were never many women though.’ ‘Have you ever taken it up again?’, I asked her. ‘As it happens, just a couple of years ago, I bought 3 new rods, and I go off on my own in our motorhome for weekends. I love it, the peace, quiet and reflection, nobody to please but myself. I remember my childhood days in Tortosa, sleeping 3 in a bed with my sisters, never having time to myself. Well now I’m making up for that. Bigtime.’

So thank you very much, Senora Susana Provinciale Antó. You have given a completely honest and personal perspective to life in Tortosa as a child in the sixties and seventies.

Enjoy your fishing y ¡Bon Profit!

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