The origins of the old town of Berga

* The author is part of the community of readers of La Vanguardia.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
08 July 2023 Saturday 22:47
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The origins of the old town of Berga

* The author is part of the community of readers of La Vanguardia

The old town of Berga dates back to the 1360s. In this series of photographs in Las Fotos de los Lectores de La Vanguardia we can see the old fountain of the Mare de Déu de Queralt, a peculiar construction with cheerful colors. We also see panoramic views of the oldest part of the town taken from the castle.

The castle of Berga appears documented for the first time in the year 855. The Peguera and the Berga were important lords in medieval times.

Berga has an intense history. The capital of the Berguedà region has a past that goes back to Roman times, in which it is believed that a fortification called Castrum Bergium already existed, although there is no reliable evidence of this.

The Arab invasion of Berguedà took place around the year 715. After freeing itself from Muslim rule, in the 9th century it formed part of the county of Cerdanya.

Wifredo II was Count of Berga until his retirement to the Canigó monastery in 1035. When Count Bernardo Guillermo died without issue, the County of Berga definitively belonged to the County of Barcelona in 1117, with Ramón Berenguer III being Count.

The city has suffered several epidemics throughout its history. And not just the latest from Covid-19. In 1347 he suffered from the black plague. And, in 1854, there was a cholera outbreak.

Other historical facts that have seen the streets and squares of its old town take us back to between 1654 and 1655, when the town was captured by the French. And, during the Spanish Succession War, he supported Felipe V of Spain.