Llívia

Llívia
—  Municipality  —
Border stone between Spain and France, for the municipalities of Llívia (Girona) and Angoustrine-Villeneuve-des-Escaldes (Pyrénées-Orientales).
Coat of arms
Location of Llívia in the province of Girona.
Llívia Location in France (Spanish exclave)
Coordinates: 42°27′36″N 1°58′48″E / 42.46°N 1.98°E / 42.46; 1.98Coordinates: 42°27′36″N 1°58′48″E / 42.46°N 1.98°E / 42.46; 1.98
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Catalonia
Province	Girona
Comarca	Cerdanya
Judicial district	Puigcerdà
Government
• Alcalde	Josep Pous Rodríguez (2007) (CIU)
Area
• Total	12.83 km2 (4.95 sq mi)
Elevation	1,224 m (4,016 ft)
Population (2009)
• Total	1,589
• Density	120/km2 (320/sq mi)
Demonym	Llivienses
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	17527
Official language(s)
Website	Official website

Llívia (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈʎiβiə]) is a town of Cerdanya, province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is a Spanish exclave within the French département of Pyrénées-Orientales. In 2009, the municipality of Llívia had a total population of 1,589.^[1]

Llívia is separated from the rest of Spain by a corridor about 2 km wide, which includes the French communes of Ur and Bourg-Madame.

The Esteve Pharmacy, located in Llívia, is a medieval pharmacy, one of the oldest in Europe, founded at the beginning of the 15th century. It keeps albarelos, i.e., medieval type of ceramic pots used in pharmacies, as well as antique drugs, and one of the most important collections of prescription books in Europe.

History

Llívia was the site of an Iberian oppidum which commanded the region and was named Julia Libica by the Romans. It was the ancient capital of Cerdanya in antiquity, before being replaced by Hix (commune of Bourg-Madame, France) in the Middle Ages. During the Visigothic period, its citadel, the castrum Libiae, was held by the rebel Paul of Narbonne against King Wamba in 672.

In 1659, the Treaty of the Pyrenees ceded the comarques of Roussillon, Conflent, Capcir, Vallespir, and northern Cerdanya ("Cerdagne") to the French crown. Llívia did not become part of the French kingdom as the treaty stipulated that only villages were to be ceded to France, and Llívia was considered a city and not a village due to its status as the ancient capital of Cerdanya.^[2]

In 1939, at the end of the Spanish Civil War, there was some discussion of Llívia remaining a free territory of the defeated Republican government, but this was never carried out.^[3]

Events

Every second complete week in July, classes about traditional and popular festivities and festivals in Catalonia, and different performances by leading artists. Official website

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).

v t e Municipalities of the comarca of Cerdanya Alp Bellver de Cerdanya Bolvir Das Fontanals de Cerdanya Ger Guils de Cerdanya Isòvol Lles de Cerdanya Llívia Meranges Montellà i Martinet Prats i Sansor Prullans Puigcerdà Riu de Cerdanya Urús