Виланова-и-ла-Желтру: Тарихы мен мәдениеті

Vilanova i la Geltrú is the capital city of Garraf comarca, in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Historically, it is the result of the aggregation of the medieval center of La Geltrú with the center built outside the medieval walls, Vilanova (which means "new village"). Initially, the lands of Vilanova belonged to Cubelles, the neighboring town. The city of Vilanova i la Geltrú has a growing population of approximately 66,000, and is situated 40 km south west of Barcelona, with the coastal resort of Sitges some 10 km to the north east.

The town has a long history, and experienced an efflorescence during the Romantic period evidenced by a wealth of opulent 19th century buildings. The atmospheric town square, the Plaça de la Vila, and many of its iconic public buildings were principally financed by Josep Tomàs Ventosa Soler (1797 1874) a textile magnate who made his fortune in Cuba. A monument featuring a bronze statue of Ventosa stands in the center of the square. An identical monument stands in Matanzas, Cuba, where both statues were forged. Today, children play around the monument and agile climbers from castellers to protestors to carnival pranksters climb the statue and adorn it with their own symbols (see photo). During the Spanish Civil War, large numbers of people fleeing poverty in Southern Spain settled in Vilanova. Although they experienced prejudice they became increasingly accepted and known as els altres Vilanovins or "the other Vilanovins." By 1970, a majority of the town's population had been born elsewhere. In the first decade of the 21st century, there was another wave of immigrants (called nouvinguts or "newcomers" locally), this time primarily from North Africa, South America and Eastern Europe.

Vilanova is linked to the region by highway C 32, also known as highway Pau Casals, or to the Garraf Barcelona motorway providing a connection to Barcelona–El Prat Airport, the highway C 15, also known by the name Eix Diagonal, which links the historic town of Manresa and Autovía A 7 with the Mediterranean Sea. The Railway of Vilanova is of vital importance. Built between 1882 and 1884 by the developer and director of roads Jeroni Granell i Mundet the railway links the Rodalies line of Sant Vincenç de Calders – Maçanet de la Selva and connects to the imperial Roman city of Tarragona, the town of Tortosa, the town of Reus, and the city of Lleida. The GR 92 long distance footpath, which roughly follows the length of the Mediterranean coast of Spain, has a staging point at Vilanova i la Geltrú. Stage 22 links northwards to Garraf, a distance of , whilst stage 23 links southwards to Calafell, a distance of .

The traditional and popular festivals (festes) celebrated in Vilanova i la Geltrú are among the richest and most varied in Catalonia. Locals say that Vilanovins "always have a leg in the air" referring to their festive proclivity. And it is through participating in local festivals that Vilanovins, whether natives or recently arrived newcomers, intensify their sense of belonging to a community dedicated to active engagement between neighbors or convivència. Carnaval, held in late February, culminates in a week long debauch of dances, masquerades, social satire, mock battles, permitted disrespect, feasts, processions, and pranks all in honor of Sa Majastat el Rei Carnestoltes (His Majesty the King Carnival) also known as the "king of the senseless" celebrated for his prodigious sexual prowess and devastating satire. Up to a third of the population participates in Les Comparses, a couples dance in which rival groups hurl hard candies at one another in what is called the Sweet War. Children are given a day off school to celebrate Dijous Gras (Fat Thursday) during which they celebrate the Merengada, a day long orgy of eating and fighting with sticky sweet meringue, leaving a sticky residue throughout the town. While many of the acts of carnaval remain constant, every year there are innovations and topical satire attacking the foibles of the rich, powerful, inept and corrupt. Since 1784, Vilanovins have celebrated their Festa Major in early August, dedicated to the city's patron saint, the Virgin of the Snows (Mare de Déu de les Neus). Processions begin with a correfoc of ritual devils led by the Ball de Diables de Vilanova i la Geltrú, established in 1832 and one of eight dances of devils in Catalonia with a history of one hundred years or more. The processions include traditional dances by costumed figures including the dances of the Serrallonga, Ball de Bastons, Cintes, Panderos, Cap grossos (big headed dwarfs), Cercolets, Pastorets, Gitanes, and Valencians; imaginary beings such as Gegants (giants), Dracs (fire breathing dragons), and Mulasses (demonic Mules), and the construction of towering human castles (castell). Other festes celebrated in Vilanova include Tots Sants (November 1), Nadal (December 25), Cap d'Any (January 1), els Tres Tombs (January 17), la Diada de Sant Jordi (April 23), Nit de Sant Joan (St John's Night) and Sant Pere (St Peter's Day). Vilanova also has a railway museum, the Museu del Ferrocarril de Vilanova i la Geltrú which contains one of the largest collections of historic steam engines in the world. Apart from traditional seafood restaurants, and cutting edge presentations of local foods at culinary destinations such as L'Oganquit and Genito, Vilanova is a recognised centre for xató, a winter salad dressed with a rich sauce made from almonds, olives, fish, oil and garlic, which forms the basis for the Festival of Xató (Xatonada) in tandem with nearby villages and towns. Other local innovations include glòries, elaborate confections of meringue presented during carnaval that may be a dying tradition, and the Mig Mig, a refreshing summer drink invented at the gelateria Cal Llorens, is a fifty fifty blend of orxata de xufa made from tigernuts and granissat de llimona or pulverized ice with lemon syrup.

Tradition maintains that Vila Nova (the new town) was founded by people fleeing the abuses of the feudal lord of the castle la Geltrú, particularly his exercise of the Droit du seigneur or jus primae noctis but there is no evidence that this is the case. Other traditions recount conflicts with invading Moors, the coming of the railroad, the inaccessible tunnels beneath the city and stories of a youth confounded by the reflection of the full moon in the water from which Vilanovins receive the nickname llunàtics (lunatics), in reference to a supposed mercurial quality of unpredictable emotions. Rather than a static tradition, folklore and festa in Vilanova are often used as a public way to respond to current events from immigration to national politics or to defy fears of new epidemics. In an annual children's Christmas play, the troubling ethnic caricature of the Moorish pirate, Moro Manani was replaced by the traditional Catalan figure the Caganer and the avian flu scare was satirized in 2006 by the carnaval figure Moixó Foguer.

The city has a roller hockey team, CP Vilanova, one of the most important in Spain, and a member of the main national roller hockey league OK Liga. In 2011 Vilanova hosted the CERS Cup Final Four.