Sant Martí d'Empúries facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sant Martí d'Empúries
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Church of Sant Martí Empúries
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 Sant Martí d'Empúries
Location in Catalonia
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| Country |  Spain |
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| Community |  Catalonia |
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| Province | Girona | |
| Comarca | Alt Empordà | |
| Population
(2009)
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| • Total | 61 | |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Sant Martí d'Empúries is a small, historic village. It is part of the town of L'Escala in Spain. You can find it right next to the ancient ruins of Empúries. This area was first settled by ancient Greeks over 2,600 years ago!
For a long time, Sant Martí d'Empúries was an important local center. It was the main town of the region until 1079. Then, the main center moved to Castelló d'Empúries. This new location was safer from attacks.
Sant Martí d'Empúries is also a stop on the GR 92 long-distance walking path. This path follows the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Hikers can walk north from here for about 20 kilometers. This route goes behind the coast to a pond called El Cortalet. This pond is in the Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l'Empordà. If you walk south, the path follows the coast to l'Escala. Then it goes inland across the Montgri Massif for another 20 kilometers.
Ancient History of Sant Martí d'Empúries
This area has been lived in for a very long time. The first people to settle here were Greeks. They came from a city called Massalia, which is now Marseille in France. They arrived in the 6th century BC. The Greeks built a settlement here and named it Kypsela (Κύψελα).
Some historians think there might have been a temple to the Greek goddess Artemis on the island nearby. Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, wild animals, and the wilderness.
Christianity and Early Counts
Sant Martí d'Empúries became a Christian place thanks to Saint Feliu. He was a Christian martyr from Africa. A martyr is someone who dies for their beliefs. Saint Feliu died in 304 in Girona.
Later, between 516 and 693, there was a bishop in the area. A bishop is a high-ranking church leader. In 812, a powerful ruler named Charlemagne mentioned Ermenguer. Ermenguer was the first Count of Empúries. A count was a noble who ruled a county or region for the king.
See also
In Spanish: San Martín de Ampurias para niños
