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Puigcerdà

Puigcerdà
Municipality
Casa de la Vila, the city hall
Casa de la Vila, the city hall
Flag of Puigcerdà
Flag
Coat of arms of Puigcerdà
Coat of arms
Puigcerdà is located in Province of Girona
Puigcerdà
Puigcerdà
Puigcerdà is located in Spain
Puigcerdà
Puigcerdà
Location in Catalonia
Coordinates: 42°25′54″N 1°55′42″E / 42.43167°N 1.92833°E / 42.43167; 1.92833
Country  Spain
Autonomous community  Catalonia
Province Girona
Comarca Baixa Cerdanya
Government
 • Mayor Albert Piñeira Brosel (2015)
Area
 • Total 18.9 km2 (7.3 sq mi)
Elevation 1,202 m (3,944 ft)
Population (2014)
 • Total 8,761
 • Density 460/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Puigcerdanenc
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Website puigcerda.cat

Puigcerdà (Catalan pronunciation: [ˌputʃsərˈða], informally: [ˌputʃərˈða], locally: [ˌpʰujsə̃rˈða]) is the capital of the Catalan comarca of Cerdanya, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, northern Spain, near the river Segre and on the border with France (it abuts directly onto the French town of Bourg-Madame).

Puigcerdà is located near the site of a Ceretani settlement, which was incorporated into Roman territory. The Roman town was named Julia Libyca.

Puigcerdà was founded in 1178 by King Alfonso I of Aragon, Count of Barcelona. In 1178 Puigcerdà replaced Hix as the capital of Cerdanya. Hix is now a village in the commune of Bourg-Madame, in the French part of Cerdagne.

Puigcerdà was unique during the Spanish Civil War in having a democratically elected Anarchist council.

The Portet-Saint-Simon–Puigcerdà railway was opened in 1929, crossing the Pyrenees to France.


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Wikipedia

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