Valls | |
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  Valls  Valls | |
| Coordinates:41°17′18″N1°15′7″E / 41.28833°N 1.25194°E /41.28833; 1.25194 | |
| Sovereign state |  Spain |
| Community |  Catalonia |
| Region | Camp de Tarragona |
| County | Alt Camp |
| Province | Tarragona |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Dolors Farré i Cuadras (2019) (JxC) |
| Area | |
• Total | 55.3 km2 (21.4 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 215 m (705 ft) |
| Population (2024-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 25,047 |
| • Density | 453/km2 (1,170/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | vallenc, -enca (pl. vallencs, -enques) |
| Postal code | 43800 |
| Climate | Csa |
| Website | valls |
Valls (Catalan pronunciation:[baʎs]) is a city and municipality in theCamp de Tarragona region inCatalonia, Spain. It is the capital of thecomarca ofAlt Camp. It has a population of 25,047 (register office, 2024) 
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Valls is known for itscalçots – a type of scallion or green onion – and the human towers tradition known as thecastells. The town is the birthplace of the composerRobert Gerhard (1896–1970).
Valls is the capital of thecomarca ofAlt Camp. With a population of 24,570 inhabitants in 2014, it represents more than half of the population of the county.[2] It is located next to theRiver Francolí, nearReus (Baix Camp) andTarragona (Tarragonès), the capital of theSpanish province.[3]
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Valls is known for its culinary tradition, the feasting oncalçots at what is known as a "calçotada". The calçots are a large type of sweet-flavouredspring onion, barbecued over a pit of flaming vines, and eaten piping hot with a sauce. The calçotada continues with a main course of meats and sausages grilled over the same glowing coals, and is washed down with locally produced wines. The calçots are only available between December and May and draw diners from as far away asBarcelona. The calçot is grown locally and has a "PGI" (Protected Geographical Indication) status in the same way thatchampagne does.[4]
Another cultural tradition of Valls is the practice of building "castells" at festivals, towers of people sometimes as much as ten individuals high, with each layer being supported by the people below.[5] This human tower tradition originated in theBall dels Valencians in Valls, first recorded in 1712,[5] and later spread to nearby towns such asVilafranca del Penedès andTarragona, and more recently, to other parts of Catalonia.[6]
The composerRoberto Gerhard was born in Valls in 1896. He studied underCharles Koechlin in Paris and underArnold Schoenberg in Vienna and Berlin before returning to Barcelona in 1928. During theSpanish Civil War he supported theRepublican cause and was forced to flee the country in 1939, first to Paris and then to England where he spent the rest of his life, while his town was bombarded and a lot of Republican and Catholic citizens were killed. His works were virtually banned from performance in Spain underFrancisco Franco. His output included symphonies, stage works,chamber music,choral music andelectronic music.[7]
In January 2017, Valls City Council announced the start of construction of a multimedia museum devoted to the culture of castells, called theCasteller Museum of Catalonia ("Museu Casteller de Catalunya"), marketed in English as "The Human Towers Experience".[8] The project was initially launched in 2015,[9] and is supported by the Catalan government.[10]
Football clubsUnió Esportiva Valls and Atlètic de Valls play in the town, as doesCB Valls, a basketball club.
Andorra la Vella, Andorra
Chahal, Guatemala
Deqing, China
Settimo Torinese, Italy
(in Catalan)Places adjacent to Valls | |
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Municipalities ofAlt Camp | ||
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