Santa Coloma de Farners

infobox catalan municipio
location_

province=Girona
comarca=Selva
population=9169
population_year=2001
area=71.31
population_density=130
elevation=142
demonym=colomenc, colomenca

Santa Coloma de Farners is a spa town and capital of the "comarca" of the Selva, in
Catalonia, Spain, and of the judicial district of Santa Coloma.It is situated on the edge of the Selva depression and of the Guilleries. The local economy is mainly commercial, given the status of the town as capital of the comarca, although summer tourism, agriculture and forestry products also contribute. The urban centre is to the north and west of the main modern communication routes, although the C-253 road links the town with the main N-II route and the A-7 "autopista" and to the RENFE railway station at Sils (10 km). The GE-533 runs through the northern part of the municipality, linking it with Vic to the west and with Riudellots de la Selva, Vilobí d'Onyar and Girona-Costa Brava Airport to the east.

The town dates from at least 898, when the church (rebuilt in 950) is mentioned for the first time. In the Middle Ages it was under the ecclesiastical control of the monastery of Sant Pere Cercada and the civil control of Farners castle. A market was established by a charter of King Pere III in 1334, and an independent barony was created in the fifteenth century, held by the Vilademany family.

In the town of Santa Coloma, notable monuments include the gothic church of Santa Coloma (whose current structure dates from the fourteenth century), the Plaça de Farners and the Orion thermal baths ("Balneari Termas-Orion"). The twelfth century Farners castle is six kilometres to the west of the urban centre (within the municipal boundaries): the adjoining "Santuari" (Sanctuary) "de la Mare de Déu de Farners" houses a Marial figure. The roman monastery of Sant Pere Cercada is three kilometres further on from the castle.

Demography

infobox catalan municipio demography
pop_1900=5041
pop_1930=4691
pop_1950=4754
pop_1970=5830
pop_1986=7582
pop_latest=9169
latest_year=2001

References

* Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria (1989). "Guia de Catalunya", Barcelona:Caixa de Catalunya. ISBN 84-87135-01-3 (Spanish). ISBN 84-87135-02-1 (Catalan).

External links

* [http://www.scolomafarners.org/ Official site]
* [http://www.municat.net:8000/omunicat/owa/mun_p01.dad_ens?via=1&cod=1718050006 Information from the] Generalitat de Catalunya
* [http://www.idescat.es/territ/BasicTerr?TC=3&V0=1&V1=17180 Information from the] Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya
* [http://www.ccselva.org/municipis/scoloma_farners.pdf Street plan] (.pdf file)
* [http://www.balneari-termas-orion.com/ Balneari Termas-Orion]