Location
A municipality located in the southernmost part of the DOQ Priorat. The town is lined on one of the ridges that define the area and, by extension, the whole territory of the Priorat. The area is bounded to the north and west by the river Siurana, in the south by the mountains of the Sarraí and to the east shares a border with Falset.
Altitude: 261 m. Area: 8,90 km2. Population: 296.
History
The history of Bellmunt del Priorat is indisputably linked to the history of the mines in its territory, which were already mentioned in antiquity. These mines, situated between the village and the river Siurana, are known to have been excavated during the Roman era; it is even possible that the seams were used previously by the Iberian settlers.
In the mid-19th century, the State leased the mines and this enabled the town to recover from the ravages of phylloxera, which affected the villages of the Priorat, very quickly. During the 20th century, the exploitation of the lead mines reached its peak, although from 1970 activity decreased to such an extent that the mines were closed definitively. Currently, the Eugenia Mine is open for public tours.
Festivals and customs
The Feast of Santa Llúcia is on 13 December and that of the Sants Innocents on 28th December. On December 30, the last day of the festivals of the Holy Innocents, there is a fellowship meal with a traditional menu: casserole beans and fried cod. This festival is known as the Badejada or Festival of Cod. Bellmunt del Priorat has an important past linked to mining activity. They celebrate the feast of Santa Barbara on 4th December, which includes a wine tasting.
Places of interest
The 18th-century neo-classical parish church, dedicated to the patron saint of the village, Saint Lucia, and the Casa de les Mines, modernist style are notable. Also noteworthy is the Casa Gran, former residence of the Carthusians, possibly from the 18th century, and the Casal, an interesting modernist building. The Eugenia Mine has recently been converted to allow tourist visits. This mine was the most valuable because of its size, depth and output.
Wineries in Bellmunt del Priorat village
