Blancafort, Tarragona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Blancafort
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Municipality
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 Blancafort
Location in Catalonia
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| Country |  ESP |
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| Autonomous community |  Catalonia |
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| Province |  Tarragona |
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| Comarca |  Conca de Barberà |
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| Area | |||
| • Total | 14.5 km2 (5.6 sq mi) | ||
| Population
(2018)
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| • Total | 379 | ||
| • Density | 26.14/km2 (67.7/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) | ||
Blancafort is a small town, also called a municipality, located in the province of Tarragona. It is part of Catalonia, an autonomous community in Spain.
History
Blancafort has a long and interesting history. It was first mentioned in official papers in the year 1207. These documents talked about a castle that belonged to a person named Pere Romeu y de Fitor Arnau.
For a long time, Blancafort was part of the Dukedom of Montblanc. In the 1300s, the town was made stronger with defenses.
During the War of Succession, Blancafort supported Archduke Charles. Because of this, the town was attacked by the troops of Philip V. After the war ended, Blancafort became part of the larger area of Tarragona.
Later, during the War of Independence, French soldiers attacked and took things from Blancafort. These troops were led by a French General named Louis Gabriel Suchet.
Culture
The main church in Blancafort is named after Saint Magdalene. It was built on the site of an even older Roman temple. This church is quite large and has a beautiful style called late Baroque.
The church has one main hall, called a nave, with a rounded ceiling. The front of the church looks like a style called neoclassical. In the old cemetery next to the church, many old tombstones were found. These are now kept and shown at the Diocesan Museum in Tarragona.
Many houses in Blancafort were built in the late 1700s. One special house is called Can Minguella, but it's better known as Can Cavaller. This house is even older, from the 1600s. You can see the family's special symbol, called a coat of arms, on the front of the house.
Sadly, nothing is left of the old castle. Only a street name, del Castell, reminds people where it once stood.
Blancafort's biggest celebration, its main festival, happens on the fourth Sunday of August. However, there are fun activities for everyone throughout the entire month of August. Since 1483, there has also been a tradition of walking up to the Sanctuary of Tallat. This special walk also takes place in August.
