L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
Municipality
Flag of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
Flag
Coat of arms of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
Coat of arms
Location of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
Location in Barcelonès county
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat is located in Catalonia
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
Location within Catalonia
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat is located in Spain
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
Location within Spain
Coordinates: 41°21′35″N 2°6′00″E / 41.35972°N 2.10000°E / 41.35972; 2.10000
Sovereign state Spain
Community Catalonia
RegionBarcelona
CountyBarcelonès
ProvinceBarcelona
Founded12th century
Government
 • TypeAjuntament
 • BodyAjuntament de L'Hospitalet
 • MayorNúria Marín (2023)[1] (PSC)
Area
[2]
 • City12.4 km2 (4.8 sq mi)
Elevation
 (AMSL)
8 m (26 ft)
Population
 (2018)[3]
 • City261,068
 • Density21,000/km2 (55,000/sq mi)
Demonymshospitalenc, -ca  (ca)
hospitalense  (es)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
0890x
Dialing code+34 (E) 93 (B)
INE code08 1017
City budget (2014)€200 million
Main festitivity?
Patron saintSaint Eulalia
Websitel-h.cat

L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (Catalan pronunciation: [luspitəˈlɛd də ʎuβɾəˈɣat; ˌlɔs-]; Spanish: Hospitalet de Llobregat), often shortened to L'Hospitalet or just L'H, is a municipality in the Barcelonès comarca, in Catalonia (Spain). It is part of the Barcelona metropolitan area, the Barcelona province, and of the Barcelona conurbation.

By population, it is the second largest municipality in Catalonia and the sixteenth in Spain. It is one of the most densely populated cities in the European Union.[4]

Name

The name of L'Hospitalet (literally, 'the small hospital' in Catalan) makes reference to a hostel.[5] The name of the river Llobregat is added to differentiate it from other towns with the same name.[5]

History

The first records of the settlement date to the Neolithic era with artefacts showing human habitation in the Llobregat river area. Roman artefacts have been found dating to the 2nd century BC such as a funeral decoration representing the head of Medusa, now in the Archaeological Museum of Catalonia. However it is not until the 10th century that written references to Provençana (the city's original name) appear.

The place had about 5,000 inhabitants by the turn of the 20th century.[6] Throughout the early 20th century, it consisted of three different urban settlements, Centre, Sta. Eulàlia and Collblanc.[7] Local agricultural output and profitability experienced a peak in this period.[7] A chunk of the municipality (900 ha) was lost to the municipality of Barcelona in 1920.[8] L'Hospitalet then became a primarily industrial municipality, focused on textile, metalworking, ceramic and building materials industries.[9]

The 1960s and 1970s saw a second population boom, caused by immigration from poorer regions of Spain: however this was not matched by construction of the necessary amenities and it was only in the 1990s that public investment resulted in additional schools, leisure facilities and housing.

Demographics

1900 1930 1950 1970 1986 2006 2020
4948 37,650 71,580 241,978 279,779 261,310 274,320

As of 2020, the registered population stands at 274,320, of which 126,237 were born in Catalonia, 54,098 were born in other Spanish regions, 93,984 were born abroad and 1 person was born in former Spanish territories.[10]

As of 2020, the foreign population amounts for 67,213 people.[10] The largest groups of foreign citizens are listed as follows:[10]

Foreign nationals
Country of citizenship Population (2020)[10]
Morocco6,218
Bolivia5,848
Honduras4,558
India4,490
Pakistan4,481
Peru4,338
Dominican Republic4,331
Ecuador4,107
China3,698
Colombia3,668
Romania2,131
Venezuela1,796
Italy1,662
Paraguay1,634
El Salvador1,204

Geography

L'Hospitalet's surface is 12.49 km2 (4.82 sq mi). The area on which the city is constructed may be divided in two different geological areas. One of them follows the coast typology and is called La Marina, similarly to two coast areas of neighbouring Barcelona's Zona Franca: La Marina del Prat Vermell and La Marina de Port. The latter half of L'Hospitalet is called El Samontà, which consists of hills and a more elevated area.

Economy

Spanair head office in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat

The city's reputation is largely still that of a depressed suburb,[11] drawing on its proletarian origins and its reliance on Barcelona. But its economy has improved recently, as can be seen from the city's new skyline and relocation of companies to the city's new financial centre. Urban regeneration and construction took place during the 2000s, as well as ongoing work on improving public transportation in the second municipality of the Barcelona metropolitan area. The former airline Spanair's headquarters were in L'Hospitalet.[12][13] Former mayor Celestino Corbacho campaigned to improve the city's infrastructure from his position in the Ministry of Work.

Skyscrapers

  • Hotel Porta Fira (2010) –113 metres (371 ft)– Completed
  • Torre Realia BCN (2009) – 112 metres (367 ft) – Completed
  • Hotel Catalonia Plaza Europa (2011) – 105 metres (344 ft) – Completed
  • Hesperia Tower (2006) – 106 metres (348 ft) – Completed
  • Tower Caixa Catalunya (?) – 106 metres (348 ft) – Planned
  • Torre Inbisa (2010) – 104 metres (341 ft) – Completed
  • Torre Zenit (2009) – 104 metres (341 ft) – Completed
  • Hospital de Bellvitge (1972) – 82 metres (269 ft) – Completed
  • Tower Colonial (?) – 75 metres (246 ft) – Under Construction (on hold)
  • Tower Fadesa I (2009) – 65 metres (213 ft) – Completed
  • Tower Fadesa II (2009) – 65 metres (213 ft) – Completed
  • Tower Fadesa III (2009) – 65 metres (213 ft) – Completed
  • City Judicial Building A (2008) – 62 metres (203 ft) – Completed
  • City Judicial Building C (2008) – 58 metres (190 ft) – Completed
  • Torre Melina (Hotel Rey Juan Carlos) (1992) – 60 metres (200 ft) – Completed

Administrative units

District I

El Centre
Casino del Centre

El Centre is the historical centre of the city, the oldest neighbourhood, where the City Council is, as well as the centre of activities such as La Farga and many of the cultural buildings, such as the History Museum, the Can Sumarro library, the cultural centre Barradas or the Sala Alexandre Cirici. It borders the district of Sanfeliu and Can Serra to the north, Bellvitge to the south, Sant Josep to the east, and the city of Cornellà de Llobregat to the west.

Sant Josep

Sant Josep remains framed by the square that is formed by the avenue of the Fabregada and that of Isabella The Catholic (Isabel la Catòlica) to the west, the Torrent Gornal to the east, the railroad on the north side Carrilet to the south. In this area, all the industrial activities that Hospitalet had through the ages left their mark: from the flour mills and the distilleries, up to the different energetic exploitation of the waterfalls of the Canal de la Infanta or the ceramic, textile, metallurgical and chemical industries. In fact, Sant Josep was originally an industrial suburb, but the subsequent disappearance of many factories, as well as the population increase, have given it a residential character.

Sanfeliu

Civic life in this quarter centres on the avenue of the Cirerers and the Communities Square (Plaça de les Comunitats). This public space is the scene of the greatest holiday celebrations, such as the festival of Sant Joan, the Carnival, and many other popular events. The cultural centre is also at the heart of many of the activities.

District II

Collblanc

This ward has a marked commercial character, centred near the Collblanc Metro stop. The Market Square (Plaça del Mercat) and the surroundings are the main centre of cultural life.

La Torrassa

Its origins has been linked to Collblanc. Today, the Spanish Square (Plaça Espanyola) and the new park of La Torrassa are at the heart of this neighbourhood and is where the holiday celebrations at the beginning of every summer are largest.

District III

Santa Eulàlia
Rotonda

Its origins are dated back to Medieval times thanks to the presence of the Santa Eulàlia de Provençana hermitage (dated in the 12th century thanks to an inscription in the façade). Also it was very important during the Industrial Revolution thanks to the presence of many industries in the quarter, such as Can Trinxet, L'Aprestadora or Can Pareto.

Gran Via Sud

It is the smallest quarter in the town.

District IV

La Florida

La Florida is a majority-immigrant neighborhood that is the densest neighborhood in Europe.[14]

Les Planes

District V

Pubilla Casas
Can Serra

District VI

Craft beer of L'Hospitalet
Bellvitge

In 1964 the Inmobiliaria Ciudad Condal S.A. (ICC) company initiated the construction of this neighbourhood as it stands nowadays, beside the hermitage, on land which had been bought from local farmers. It was designed as a residential area to house the large number of immigrants who came to Catalonia from elsewhere in Spain – more than 126,000 people in 1964 – in search of work.

Gornal

District VII

Granvia l'Hospitalet

Transport

International relations

Twin towns and sister cities

L'Hospitalet is twinned with the following cities:

See also

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ "Ajuntament de l'Hospitalet de Llobregat". Generalitat of Catalonia. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
    2. ↑ "El municipi en xifres: L'Hospitalet de Llobregat". Statistical Institute of Catalonia. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
    3. ↑ Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
    4. ↑ Rae, Alasdair (22 March 2018). "Europe's most densely populated square kilometres – mapped". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
    5. 1 2 García Sánchez, Jairo J. (13 September 2005). "Cataluña y sus topónimos (y V)". Rinconete. Centro Virtual Cervantes. ISSN 1885-5008.
    6. ↑ Domínguez, Manuel (2014). "El patrimoni de l'Hospitalet: una història i algunes propostes". Quaderns d'Estudi (27): 136. ISSN 2013-9691.
    7. 1 2 Domínguez 2011, p. 91.
    8. ↑ Domínguez, Manuel (2011). "El pistolerisme a l'Hospitalet". Quaderns d'Estudi (25): 91. ISSN 2013-9691.
    9. ↑ Domínguez 2011, p. 92.
    10. 1 2 3 4 "Població estrangera segons nacionalitat i sexe 2020". Demografia. Ajuntament de L'Hospitalet. pp. 50–53.
    11. ↑ Lonely Planet Barcelona, p8, Damien Simonis
    12. ↑ L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (in Spanish), www.urbanity.es
    13. ↑ "Contacts." Spanair. Retrieved on 29 December 2009.
    14. ↑ "Ser joven en la Florida, el barrio con más densidad de población de Europa".
    15. ↑ "National Commission for Decentralized Cooperation". Délégation pour l'Action Extérieure des Collectivités Territoriales (Ministère des Affaires étrangères) (in French). Archived from the original on 8 October 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
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