History
Are you a history enthusiast? You are not alone!
Get to know some of Sitges' most interesting historical moments and discover the town through a whole new lens.
The origins
Sitges is a coastal town south of Barcelona whose history goes back to prehistoric times. The first known inhabitants were Neanderthals, whose remains have been found in the Cave of Giants. From the VIth century BC to the Ist century AD, Iberian communities lived around the area of the present-day Church of Sant Bartomeu and the Town Hall. They practiced agriculture, produced ceramics and textiles, and traded with Greek and Phoenician merchants. The area was later conquered by Carthage and then incorporated into the Roman Empire.
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Sitges may have been the Roman settlement known as Subur, although this remains debated by archaeologists. Its location between Barcino (Barcelona) and Tarraco (Tarragona) made it strategically important, particularly to export products such as wine and cereals from the Penedès region. The modern name Sitges comes from sitja, which is an underground storage pit used to store grain that is widely found in the area.
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During the XIth century, a castle was built on the hill where the Town Hall stands today. The settlement was protected by walls and a moat, and it developed important medieval buildings. Carrer d’en Bosc is one of the oldest streets, while the Palau del Rei Moro, dating from around 1390, is an example of medieval architecture.
Archeological finding underneath the townhall of Sitges.
XVIIth century and Reapers’ War
The XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries were turbulent times that left a visible impact on Sitges. The Spanish Empire was fighting the Eighty Years War against the Dutch revolt, the War of Thirty Years as allies of the Sacred Germanic Empire against the protestant states and France (1618 – 1648), and the War against France (1635 – 1659). All these wars and the decrease of gold and silver from the colonies dramatically impacted the economy. To sustain the wars, king Felipe IV increased the taxes and recruited soldiers amongst his subjects, instead of hiring expensive mercenaries, which lead to growing discontent. In 1635, the Conde Duque de Olivares ordered 40,000 soldiers to go to the Catalan border with France. As was common in medieval and modern wars, local commoners were forced to host and feed the troops. Resistance from the local population was met with violence and looting.
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Military failures, the impact of the forbidden trade with France on the Catalan bourgeoisie, the bad harvests in 1638, 1639 and 1640, the fierce reprisals against complaints, and the news that more Catalan soldiers would be recruited, lead to a bloody revolt by the plebeians on the 7th of June 1640. This marked the start of the Reaper’s War between the Catalan rebels and the Spanish monarchy. In 1641, Catalan nobles and bourgeois made a deal with France (Louis XIII and cardinal Richelieu) to receive the military help of France in exchange for Louis XIII becoming the count of Barcelona. Later that year, the revolted Catalans with the help of French troops defeated the army of Felipe IV, and proclaimed the Republic of Catalonia.
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However, French merchants took control of many businesses, while the French imposed even heavier military costs than under Felipe IV and exerted significant political interference. When the United Provinces of the Dutch Republic signed the peace with Spain in the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, France stopped supporting the Catalan uprising to focus on protecting its northern borders. In 1649, Sitges was besieged by the army of Felipe IV for two days, bombed from sea and land, and looted: the gothic church, part of the walls, two towers and part of the castle were destroyed. After an 11-month siege in Barcelona in 1652, the city surrendered, and Catalonia became part of the Spanish Empire again.
Corpus de Sang (Corpus of Blood) by Antonio Estruch (1907)
King Felipe IV of Spain by Diego Velazquez (1632)
King Louis XIII of France by Philippe de Champaigne (1639)
Colonial trade and rise of the Indianos
The discovery of America allowed Catalonia to prosper economically: raw materials were imported from the colonies (coffee, sugar, tobacco, cacao), and manufactured goods exported (textiles, wine, paper, schnapps, dry fruit). In the beginning, trade happened via the harbours of Sevilla and Cadiz, which had the monopoly and allowed the control of boats and traded goods. In 1778, king Carlos III declared free trade with selected colonies, resulting in many Spaniards emigrating to America (three million between the XIXth and XXth centuries), and numerous Sitgetans to Cuba. Many were merchants, while others became involved in sugar, tobacco, coffee, cacao, rum production, or slave trafficking. Goods were transported with sailing and small boats from small to big harbours, where they were loaded in big boats that exported the products further. Crossing the Atlantic was a risky and dangerous trip that took between one and two months by sailing boat, and around 15 days when steamboats appeared in the XIXth century. Upon their return home, they were called Americanos or Indianos. Americanos offered objects called exvotos, often a model ship, to God or Saints in a church, to thank them for surviving the trip.
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Migration often took place in a network: one young man (often the second son, who was not getting an inheritance) would travel first, find employment or establish a business, and later help relatives and friends migrate. Many migrants hoped to make a fortune and eventually return home. Only a few of them succeeded and returned, investing and exhibiting their wealth in large houses, gardens, schools, hospitals, churches, businesses and cultural institutions in their birthplace. Examples of these men are Andres Brugal and Facundo Bacardi, both from Sitges, who both founded the renowned rum brands based on their names. This had a major impact on Sitges. The town's population increased from approximately 1,600 inhabitants in 1718 to 3,485 in 1787, while wealth from overseas commerce helped transform its architecture and society. The Casino Prado Suburense, for example, appeared as cultural and recreational institution.
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However, colonial wealth was closely connected to slavery. Sugar, tobacco and other plantations depended heavily on enslaved African labour. Catalan merchants participated in the transatlantic slave trade and the triangular trade, where European manufactured goods were exchanged for enslaved people in Africa, who were transported to the Americas, while colonial products were shipped back to Europe. Enslaved Africans suffered inhuman treatment, being chained, hit, underfed, and exploited to the point that the survivors who would make it to the colonies were not expected to live more than 10 years.
Puesto de mercado (Market Stall) by anonymous (18 century)
Sitges since the XIXth century
The XIXth century brought the Peninsular War, the Carlist Wars, the loss of Spain's colonies, and the arrival of phylloxera, which devastated vineyards. Still, in the end of the century, gas, piped water, the railway and the Garraf road improved communications and living conditions in Sitges. The old castle was demolished in 1888, and the present Town Hall was built on the site.
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In 1891, the modernist artist Santiago Rusinol established his studio in Sitges (Cau Ferrat), triggering many artists to move to Sitges such as Ramon Casas, Pere Jou or Miguel Utrillo. In this way, Sitges became an important centre of Modernisme. This attracted the North American millionaire businessman and art collector Charles Deering, who built the Palau Maricel. He also became a benefactor of Sitges, helping in the development of the new hospital, and offering donations to the parochial church and various social works. In 1921 and due to disagreements between Deering and Utrillo, Deering left Sitges and took his art collection and belongings with him.
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From the XXth century, the town began promoting itself as a tourist destination, highlighting the natural beauty of the area and the openminded character of the inhabitants. Hotels started to be built, and the Terramar neighbourhood was created. Buildings such as Casa Vilella (1919), reflected the influence of Noucentisme and the wealth created during the previous decades.
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When the Spanish Civil War began in July 1936, Sitges suffered major losses to its religious and artistic heritage, due to anti-clerical attacks from a Republican antifascist militia that took control over Sitges. Churches and religious buildings were looted, and many statues, paintings, relics and other religious objects were destroyed, burned or thrown into the sea. Sitges hosted a refuge for children during the war, housed in Casa Vilella, known back then as Residencia Helvetica. In the last year, Sitges was bombed by the Francoist Airforce, and taken over without opposition. Many Sitgetans who had held public office during the Republic, fought in the Republican side, or who feared what was to come, fled towards the French border and went into exile. In France, they were treated as prisoners. Most were locked in makeshift camps in terrible conditions, waiting for the situation to change and facing the dilemma of returning home and risking fierce retaliation, or staying in an unwelcoming country. Many ended up in the Foreign Legion or the Company of Foreign Workers, which built defensive fortifications such as la Ligne Maginot.
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After the Spanish Civil War ended in 1939 and Franco’s dictatorship began, the town experienced political repression, exile and restrictions on cultural life, while the economy suffered from the difficult conditions of the post-war period. Religious life was restored, and some artworks that had been destroyed during the war were replaced or reconstructed. From the 1950s onwards, Sitges gradually recovered and tourism began to grow again, transforming the town into an important Mediterranean tourist destination. Barcelona's upper classes and modernist intellectuals forged within Sitges an elitist, bohemian, and tolerant social landscape, attracting gay new residents and tourists. It happened within the sphere of the most rigorous privacy until the death of Franco, after which gay celebrations became increasingly important and visible, turning Sitges into a world-renowned gay destination nowadays.
Sitges is very popular amongst Spaniards and foreigners, as it combines art, culture, and traditions, with beautiful beaches and surrounding nature. If you ever have the chance to go, keep an eye on the following events: Classic cars rally (beginning of April), Easter, Corpus Christi (beginning of June), Festa major (end of August), and Fiesta de la Vendimia (beginning of October).
Have a look at the tabs on what to do in town and enjoy it to the fullest!
Julia by Ramón Casas (1908)
Charles Deering visits Sitges and funds the construction of the Palau de Maricel (1909)