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L’Arboç, protagonist in this report in Las Fotos de los Lectores de La Vanguardia, is the first town in the Baix Penedès region coming from the north via the N-340 road or the AP-7 highway.
Its appearance as a monumental villa can be seen from afar, thanks to the profile provided by buildings such as the Giralda, the Renaissance church of Sant Julià, the Palau Gener i Batet and several modernist buildings, such as Cal Marquet.
Its location, in the middle of the Penedès plain, surrounded by vineyards, further enhances the beauty of a town that appears documented as early as the year 991. At an economic level, the cultivation of vines and cereals stands out.
One of the most unique buildings is La Giralda, a neo-Arab construction that is located on the outskirts of the city. It was commissioned by Joan Roquer i Marí as a gift to his wife after a trip through Andalusia. For this reason, between 1877 and 1889 he directed the works on his house with a 1:2 scale reproduction of the famous Sevillian minaret (with 52 meters).
Inside you can also see an approximate reproduction of the famous courtyard of the lions of the Alhambra in Granada.
L’Arboç is a town with a great tradition of popular culture. Many women dominate bobbin lace, one of the oldest devil dances in Catalonia is held here, there is a very old cane necklace and some hundred-year-old giants.
In addition, on the fourth Sunday of August, l’Arbós celebrates its fiesta mayor, one of the most typical of Catalonia. No e vano is listed by the Generalidad as a Heritage Festival of National Interest.
