 | This article includes a list ofgeneral references, butit lacks sufficient correspondinginline citations. Please help toimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(March 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Tossa de Mar | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location of Tossa de Mar | |
  Tossa de Mar  Tossa de Mar | |
| Coordinates:41°43′14″N2°55′56″E / 41.72056°N 2.93222°E /41.72056; 2.93222 | |
| Country | Spain |
| Community | Catalonia |
| Province | Girona |
| Comarca | La Selva |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Gisela Saladich Parés (2015)[1] (Ind.) |
| Area | |
• Total | 38.6 km2 (14.9 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Population (2025-01-01)[3] | |
• Total | 6,347 |
| • Density | 164/km2 (426/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Tossenc |
| Postal code | 17320 |
| Website | www |
Tossa de Mar (Catalan:[ˈtɔsəðəˈmaɾ];Spanish: Tosa de Mar) is a municipality inCatalonia, Spain, located on the coastalCosta Brava, about 100 kilometres north ofBarcelona and 100 kilometres south of theFrench border. It is accessible throughGirona Airport, some distance north.
TheGR 92 long-distance footpath, which roughly follows the length of theMediterranean coast of Spain, has a staging point at Tossa de Mar. Stage 10 links northwards toSant Feliu de Guíxols, a distance of 20.2 kilometres (12.6 mi), whilst stage 11 links southwards toLloret de Mar, a distance of 14.4 kilometres (8.9 mi).[4]
There is ample evidence of settlements dating back to theNeolithic period, and it is believed that the area has been continuously populated since that time. Between the 4th-1st century BC the firstIberian settlements appeared, followed shortly after by theRomans in the 1st century.
In 966, Tossa was ceded byCount Miró of Barcelona to theAbbey of Ripoll. Some two centuries later, in 1187, Tossa was granted itscharter by the Abbot of Ripoll, coinciding with the building of achurch atop Mount Guardí, the remnants of which can still be seen today.
Sometime in the 12th century, the medieval town was walled off and a castle was built on the highest point of Mt. Guardí, this castle was to be subsequently replaced by a windmill, and this in turn by alighthouse which is still operational.
By the year 1500, the first houses were builtextra-muros to accommodate population growth. This process was greatly accelerated during the 17th and 18th centuries, shaping an urban configuration that was to remain practically unchanged until the arrival ofmass tourism in the 1950s.
In 1989, Tossa de Mar was the first place in the world to declare itself ananti-bullfighting city.
Contrary to popular belief that Tossa has traditionally been a fishing town, in medieval times and until the arrival of tourism, the local economy was mostly based on agricultural production, principallygrapes andcork. There was a thriving export market of the latter (in the form of cork taps shipped to the Americas) during the 18th century and early 19th century.
Fishing has traditionally been a relatively minor contributor to the village's economy, although it has consistently provided an alternative source of income in times of economic crisis. A small fishing industry is still active as of 2005 and occupies a few members of local fishing families. Most of their captures are sold to local restaurants and in the fish markets in neighbouringBlanes andSant Feliu de Guíxols.
Tossa de Mar has three main beaches:
This ancienthospital was founded in 1773 as a hospital for the poor. The founder, Tomás Vidal i Rey had become wealthy in America. It is a building with two floors and a central courtyard. It now houses the cultural centre of the village. At its side is the chapel ofSant Miquel with abaroque altar of some note.
This rural villa (1st century BC - 6th century AD) belonged to the Roman province ofTarraconensis. It consists of two parts: the rural and the rustic. One can get an idea of its great value by looking, among other things, at the remains of thespa, the central heating system, themosaics, and the base of a fruit press with the recipient for the crushed juices. Fragments of the mosaics, thestucco, and several elements of sculptures attest to the wealth of the owners of the villa. The ceramic vases are proof of the trade with theMediterranean world. Farming tools, fish tackle, and loom tools reveal agricultural and fishing activities. Everyday life is evoked by other objects such ashairpins, small spoons, and bone and ivory utensils.
.JPG)
This church, dedicated to the martyrVincent of Saragossa, was inaugurated on 29 November 1775, after 20 years of construction. The church is one of the largest in the diocese and can, during important celebrations, host the whole population of Tossa de Mar. Much of the interior of the church was devastated during theCivil War in 1936.
Inside is the chapel ofSaint Sebastian, a saint adored by the population. The devotion started in the 15th or 16th century and culminates each year on 20 January into the commemoration of "Vot del Poble" (pledge of the people). Theretable of theRosary has also survived the destruction in 1936.
The "Vila Vella enceinte" is the only example of a fortified medieval town still standing on the Catalan coast. Its present appearance dates back to the end of the 14th century. It still has the entire original perimeter withbattlemented stone walls, fourturrets, and three cylindrical towers withparapets. At the highest point, where the lighthouse stands today, was, until the beginning of the 19th century, the castle of the Abbot of the MonasterySanta Maria de Ripoll, the territorial Lord of the town. The site was declared a national historic monument in 1931.
The interior of the Old Town is a charming place with narrow, cobblestoned streets, the Governor's House (now the Municipal museum), the House of Holy Cloth ("Sant Drap"), a medieval hospital, and remnants of aRomanesque church and aGothic church.
The Municipal Museum, built in Late Gothic style, is situated in the Governor's House, inside theVila Vella enceinte. It used to be the residence of the jurisdictional governors of Tossa de Mar and its environs, who ruled for the Abbots of the monasterySanta Maria de Ripoll.
The museum was opened on 1 September 1935. It houses an important collection of contemporary art with works of Spanish and foreign artists who frequented Tossa de Mar during the 1930s, such as theCelestial Violinist byMarc Chagall. The archaeological section houses artefacts dating from thePaleolithical Period to the LateMiddle Ages. Of particular note are the mosaics found in theatrium of the Roman Villa of the Ametllers, dating from the end of the 4th - beginning of the 5th century.
Associated with the artists were the Scottish journalistArchie Johnstone and his Anglo-Irish writer wifeNancy Johnstone who established a hotel in the old town in 1934, theCasa Johnstone. The building still exists, although it now forms part of a larger hotel complex, the Hotel Don Juan.[5][6] At the end of theSpanish Civil War, the Johnstones turned the hotel over to use by refugee children who, shortly before Tossa fell to theNationalists, the Johnstones piled 70 children into a truck, and drove them to safety in France, being chased throughout by Franco's troops.[7][8] Nancy wrote two memoirs recording their experiences in Tossa de Mar:Hotel in Spain, describing their ups and downs between 1934 and 1936, as they set up the hotel, andHotel in Flight describing the war years, 1936-1939.[9][10]
Tossa de Mar travel guide from WikivoyagePlaces adjacent to Tossa de Mar | |
|---|---|
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
