Terres de l'Ebre, Ebro Delta

Tortosa is located in the south of Catalonia, the Ebro, in the Baix Ebre, one of the largest in the southern regions.
Tortosa's strategic location makes it prime, as it is located at the vertices are located big cities like Barcelona, ​​Valencia and Zaragoza, at an approximate distance of 200 km. The city of Tortosa sits on the River Ebro, near the mouth and at first Delta and Ports. Enjoy Mediterranean climate.
Surrounded by the mountains of the Ports de Tortosa-Beseit and Cardó saws and Boix, right where the Iberian joins the Catalan pre-coastal mountain range, its territory is formed into a valley that extends the fertility of their gardens to meet the uniqueness landscape of paddy fields in the delta. The ridge on the right, a branch of the central system is very rugged and reaches heights of over one thousand meters. In contrast, the left, the extension of the Cardo, just in the Coll de Santa Catalina and presents much lower elevations. Both flanking the town of Tortosa and run parallel to the river. The valley is approximately horizontal and there is only a difference of levels seven meters in 30 kilometers distance that separates it from the mouth of the Ebro This privileged geographic situation was the reason that led to the first human settlements, as the Ebro- the largest river in the Iberian Peninsula allowed a generous subsistence to the inhabitants of Tortosa.
More than two thousand years of history make the rich heritage of Tortosa. The city is declared a Historic.
The ancient Tortosa must be conceived as a Mediterranean city's port and market, receiving and distributing product of the peninsular and the whole Mediterranean.
Having been occupied by the Romans, was walled and renamed to Dertosa.
In the eighth century Tortosa was conquered by the Muslims, the long dominance of whom served in the city a strong and profound influence. The eleventh century Tortosa Taifa kingdom became very important.
The grandeur of the Taifa kingdom ended in 1148, when Tortosa was conquered by Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona. The three ports of the city came to control the trade in wheat and western Mediterranean salt. The city of Tortosa turns crossing the territories that make up the Catalan-Aragonese Crown and one of the big cities is often the scene of the Cortes of the Crown of Aragon.
The expulsion of the Jews (1492) of Tortosa and to a lesser degree, that of the Moors (seventeenth century) significantly harmed the economic life of Tortosa.
During the War of the Reapers fell soon (1640) in the hands of the Spaniards, expelled shortly afterwards by the French (1650), is the time of political and cultural decadence of Catalonia.
In the War of Succession, the Valencian falling into the hands of Philip V (eighteenth century), are succumbed Tortosa.
Tortosa was one of the places most affected by the conflict of the Civil War of 1936, with the bloody and dramatic background of the Battle of the Ebro

Text of the website estraido www.tortosa.es