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Vinyols i els Arcs
The Town hall
The building that now houses the town hall, with its entrance on calle Major at the corner of the street with the church square (el Replà) was built by the Torrell family, probably at the end of the XVllth century. In the middle of the XVllth century, it passed to the Nicolau family, who sold it to the municipal corporation in 1884. The building features an arched portal of rusticated ashlar. The spacious entrance features a grand staircase with small vaults decorated with early 20th-century garlands. Over the years, the lower part of the building has been used for a wide range of public services, including housing for municipal employees, a 1st cycle elementary school, a nursery school, a youth room, a doctor's surgery and a retirement home. Offices and meeting rooms have always been located on the upper floor.
The church
SAINT CATHERINE'S CHURCH
In 1245, the archbishop granted the inhabitants of Vinyols permission to build their own church dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria. The current building was constructed between 1770 and 1778 during the economic boom of the 18th century and is similar in style and structure to other temples in the region. In 1982, the new presbytery was consecrated with the installation of the high altar.
The parish church of Vinyols i els Arcs, dedicated to Saint Catherine, was built on the site of a former temple dating from the 11th century. It was most likely designed by the Barcelona architect Father Joan Llagostera. The building is in the late Baroque style, with Rococo decoration that is not at all overloaded and with a Greek cross plan. In fact, the style and structure are similar to many other temples in the region from the same period, and probably by the same master builder. The main façade is divided into three sections by four pillars set against the walls. To the right of the façade rises the 36 m-high bell tower, majestic and visible from almost the entire municipality. The interior is of great beauty, not for its decoration, but for the magnificence, finesse and quality of the austerely ornamented space. The church's most precious architectural feature is the 15th-century wooden rosary altarpiece by an unknown artist. Its paintings are transitional to the Renaissance, but with reminiscences of Catalan Gothic.
The village/city/place
Vinyols i els Arcs is a municipality in Catalonia, Spain, belonging to the province of Tarragona in the Baix Campo region. According to 2021 data, the population was 2,193 inhabitants. There are several theories about Vinyols or Viñols. According to Balañà, it derives from the Latin VINEOLA (small vineyard). According to Moreu Rey, it is derived from VINYA (vineyard).
Vinyols i els Arcs is located between the sea and the mountains in the Baix Camp region on the Costa Daurada. In the center of the small town, the secular and religious sites are located right next to each other in a square on Calle Major. If you stroll through the town, you will see murals in many places - very worthwhile!
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