Igualada

Igualada
Municipality
Igualada town hall
Coat of arms
Igualada Show map of Province of Barcelona Igualada Show map of Spain Location in Catalonia
Coordinates: 41°35′N 1°37′E / 41.583°N 1.617°E / 41.583; 1.617
Country	Spain
Community	Catalonia
Province	Barcelona
Comarca	Anoia
Government
• Mayor	Marc Castells Berzosa (2015) (Convergència i Unió)
Area
• Total	8.1 km2 (3.1 sq mi)
Elevation	313 m (1,027 ft)
Population (2014)
• Total	38,751
• Density	4,800/km2 (12,000/sq mi)
Postal code	08700
Website	igualada.cat

Igualada (Catalan pronunciation: [iɣwəˈɫaðə]) is a municipality of the province of Barcelona in Spain. It is located on the left bank of the Anoia river, and at the western end of the Igualada-Martorell-Barcelona railway. Igualada is the capital and central market of the Anoia comarca, a rich agricultural and wine-producing district. The population, as of 2009^[update], is 38,918.

The city consists of an old town, originated in the 11th century, with narrow and irregular streets, including the remains of a fortress and ramparts, plus a new surrounding town with regular and spacious streets and many fine houses.

The city is 65 kilometres (40 miles) west from Barcelona and 20 kilometres (12 miles) west from the famous mountain and monastery of Montserrat.

Igualada hosts the European Balloon Festival, the largest hot air balloon festival in Spain and one of the largest in Europe. It takes place every year, since 1997, at the beginning of July. The city also hosts the Aerosport airshow which takes place every year in April or May.

The Igualada Leather Museum (Museu de la Pell d'Igualada) was created in 1954 and was the first leather museum in Spain, and the third in Europe. The collections are displayed in two nearby buildings in Igualada: the "Cal Boyer" building, a former cotton textile factory from the late 19th century, and the "Cal Granotes" building, an 18th-century tannery.