View source for Sitges

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Sitges
| official_name      = <!-- if different from name -->
| native_name        = 
| settlement_type    = [[Municipalities of Catalonia|Municipality]]
| image_skyline      = Ansicht 4.JPG
| image_alt          = 
| image_caption      = Sitges
| image_flag         = Flag of Sitges, Barcelona.svg
| image_shield       = Coat of Arms of Sitges.svg
| nickname           = Blanca Subur
| motto              = 
| image_map          = {{Maplink|frame=yes|plain=y|frame-width=285|frame-height=180|frame-align=center|frame-coordinates={{Coord|39.5|N|3.7|W}}|zoom=4|type=point|title=Sitges|marker=city|type2=shape|stroke-width2=2|stroke-color2=#808080|text=Interactive map of Sitges.}}
| map_caption        = Location of Sitges
| pushpin_map        = Spain Catalonia#Spain
| coordinates        = {{coord|41.237|1.823|region:ES_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = Spain
| subdivision_type1  = [[Autonomous communities of Spain|Autonomous community]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Catalonia]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Provinces of Spain|Province]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Province of Barcelona|Barcelona]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Comarques of Catalonia|Comarca]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Garraf]]
| subdivision_type4  = [[Judicial districts of Spain|Judicial district]]
| subdivision_name4  = [[Vilanova i la Geltrú]]
| established_title  = <!-- Founded -->
| established_date   = 
| seat_type          = <!-- [[Capital (political)|Capital]] -->
| seat               = 
| leader_party       = [[Republican Left of Catalonia]]
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Aurora Carbonell i Abella (2019)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ccma.cat/324/aurora-carbonell-primera-alcaldessa-derc-que-encapcala-lajuntament-de-sitges/noticia/2928999/|title=Aurora Carbonell, primera alcaldessa d'ERC que encapçala l'Ajuntament de Sitges| date=15 June 2019 |website=Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals |access-date=2019-06-17}}</ref>
| area_footnotes     = <ref name=idescat>{{cite web|url=http://www.idescat.cat/emex/?lang=en&id=082704|title=El municipi en xifres: Sitges|website=[[Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya|Statistical Institute of Catalonia]]|access-date=2015-11-23}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 43.85
| elevation_m        = 10
| elevation_min_m    = 
| population_as_of   = 2023
| population_footnotes = {{Spain metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
| population_total   = 32086
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym = {{lang|ca|[[sitgetà]]}} (m), {{lang|ca|sitgetana}} (f) <!-- Catalan demonyms are always displayed in lower-case -->
| population_note    = 
| postal_code_type   = [[List of postal codes in Spain|Postal code]]
| postal_code        = 08870
| area_code          = 93
| area_code_type     = [[Telephone numbers in Spain|Dialing code]]
| blank_name_sec1    = [[Languages of Spain|Official languages]]
| blank_info_sec1    = [[Catalan language|Catalan]]<br />[[Spanish language|Spanish]]
| website            = {{URL|www.sitges.cat}}
| footnotes          = 
| elevation_max_m    = 591
| timezone           = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset         = +1
| timezone_DST       = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST     = +2
}}
[[File:Ajuntament de Sitges P1140838.JPG|thumb|Sitges City Hall (1889)]]
[[File:154 Monument a G.K. Chesterton, pg. de la Ribera (Sitges).jpg|thumb|Monument to G. K. Chesterton (1976), by Manuel Muns.]]
{{langnf|ca-x-old|'''Sitges'''|italic=no|underground [grain] silos|paren=left}}; {{IPA|ca|ˈsidʒəs}}, {{IPA|es|ˈsitʃes|lang}}) is a town about 35 kilometres southwest of [[Barcelona]], in [[Catalonia]], [[Spain]], renowned worldwide for [[Sitges Film Festival|its film festival]], [[Carnival]], and [[LGBTQ culture]]. Located between the [[Garraf Massif]] and the [[Mediterranean Sea]], it is known for its beaches, nightspots, and historical sites.

While the roots of Sitges' artistic reputation date back to the late 19th century, when painter [[Santiago Rusiñol]] took up residence there during the summer, the town became a centre for the 1960s [[counterculture]] in mainland Spain during the [[Francoist State|Francoist regime]], and became known as "[[Ibiza]] in miniature".

Today, the economy of Sitges is based on tourism and culture, offering more than 4,500 hotel beds, half of them in four-star hotels.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}

Almost 35% of the approximately 26,000 permanent inhabitants are from the Netherlands, the UK, France, and Scandinavia, whose children attend international schools in the area. There are 17 beaches. Sitges was also the site of the annual [[Bilderberg Group|Bilderberg conference]] held in June 2010.

Sitges has been referred to as the [[Saint-Tropez]] of Spain,<ref name="Sitges as San Tropez">{{cite web|last=Boyd|first=Mark|title=Sitges is Hot Property|url=http://blog.lucasfox.com/sitges/sitges-hot-property/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330151143/http://blog.lucasfox.com/sitges/sitges-hot-property/|archive-date=2012-03-30|work=Lucasfox.com|access-date=9 August 2011|date=August 2011}}</ref> with property prices approaching those of the most expensive [[Europe]]an cities, the main reason for this being the setting by the sea and the surrounding {{Ill|Garraf Park|es|Parque del Garraf|ca|Parc del Garraf}}. Proximity to [[Barcelona-El Prat Airport]] is also a major advantage.

== Toponymy ==
The name of the town is simply the Catalan word ''sitges'', plural of ''sitja'', meaning [[Silo|silos]] in English.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}

==History==
Human presence in the area dates to at least the [[Neolithic]] era, and an [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberian]] settlement from the 4th century. In the 1st century BC, it included two separated villages, later absorbed by the [[ancient Rome|Romans]].

During the [[Middle Ages]], a castle was built in Sitges, owned by the [[bishopric of Barcelona]], which later ceded it to count [[Mir Geribert]] (1041). In the 12th century, the town fell under the rule of the Sitges family. The latter held it until 1308, when Agnes of Sitges sold the town to [[Bernat de Fonollar]], after whose death it went to the Pia Almoina, a charitable institution, to which it belonged until 1814.

Between the late-18th century and the early-20th, the history of Sitges was dominated by its close links with Spain's overseas territories, most importantly Cuba. Thousands of youngsters from Sitges settled in [[Santiago de Cuba]], [[Guantánamo]] and other areas in Eastern Cuba. Most of them were employed in commerce, usually working for relatives already established in the island. Some of them thrived and created big firms, like [[Facundo Bacardi|Facundo Bacardí]], founder of Ron [[Bacardi|Bacardí]], and Jaime Brugal, who later moved to the Dominican Republic and established Ron [[Brugal]]. Some others, after having amassed a certain fortune, settled back in Sitges, generally living on rent or investing in sectores like wine or shoe making. These were known as "Americanos", known for their habit of planting palm trees in their Caribbean-looking houses, smoking Cuban cigars and rum drinking. The ''americanos'' left a huge legacy in Sitges which can still be seen in its architecture and the history of most local families.

After Spain lost its overseas territories as a result of the [[Spanish–American War|Spanish-American War]] in 1898, the migration flow from Sitges to Cuba continued, but most of the trade ended. As most of Catalan economy, Sitges found its biggest market in the rest of Spain. Shoe making shaped Sitges' economy during the first third of the 20th century. Sitges economy was mostly based on the production of wine until the late 19th century, when the first mechanized shoe factory in Spanish history was established in the town in 1874, starting a powerful shoe making sector which employed ca. 80% of local workers by the mid-20th century. The tourist boom of the 1960s ended the era of shoe making and made local economy essentially depending on tourism and services.
[[File:Església parroquial de Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla (Sitges) - 10.jpg|thumb|The iconic church of St. Bartholomew and St. Thecla (17th century).]]
Due to the wave of artists settling in the town in the wake of [[Santiago Rusiñol]], who established his studio (nowadays [https://museusdesitges.cat/en/museum/cau-ferrat/cau-ferrat-museum Museu del Cau Ferrat]) wealthy families from Barcelona built summer residences in Sitges, especially in the garden city known as Terramar. Sitges acquired an  international reputation and attracted celebrities. American businessman, art collector, and philanthropist [[Charles Deering]] held an important art collection in Sitges between 1910 and 1921, where he built the impressive ''[https://museusdesitges.cat/en/museum/palau-de-maricel/palau-de-maricel Palau Maricel]'' (Maricel Palace). Intellectuals like G. K. [[G. K. Chesterton|Chesterton]], who visited the town in 1926 and 1935, or the German boxer [[Max Schmeling|Max Schmelling]], who trained for his match against [[Paulino Uzcudun]] in [https://www.melia.com/es/hoteles/espana/sitges/me-sitges-terramar?esl-k=sem-google%7Cng%7Cc622658808420%7Cme%7Ckhotel%20terramar%20sitges%7Cp%7Ct%7Cdc%7Ca134023298052%7Cg14891489977&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgLOiBhC7ARIsAIeetVDAc_gtFVrFqf_hArSxnyNFn_Jfs9ocZ5gcE_BZ9tjYMuUgJk2t-w0aAhOPEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds Terramar Hotel] in 1934.

For most of the [[Spanish Civil War|Civil War (1936-1939)]], Sitges was controlled by Republican forces, with the ensuing [[Red Terror (Spain)|repression]] against members of the Catholic Church and conservatives in general, until Franco's troops seized the town in January 1939 and [[White Terror (Spain)|repressed]] the elites that had ruled the town during the Second Republic and the war. 
[[File:01 Casa Manuel Planas, c. Illa de Cuba 21 - c. Sant Gaudenci (Sitges), avui Hotel Noucentista.jpg|thumb|Casa Manuel Planas (1908), one of the finest examples of ''americano'' architecture in Sitges.]]
The British war journalist Henry Buckley (author of ''[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16059587-the-life-and-death-of-the-spanish-republic The Life and Death of the Spanish Republic],'' 1940) lived for a few months in Sitges during the conflict, marrying a local woman. He would eventually retire in the mid-1960s in the town, where he purchased a house and died in 1972.

In 1958, political leaders ([[Liberalism in Colombia|Liberals]] and [[Conservatism in Colombia|Conservatives]]) from the country of [[Colombia]] met in Sitges and signed a peace treaty, the "[[National_Front_(Colombia)#Creation|Declaration of Sitges]]", instituting a [[consociationalist]] democracy in Colombia and creating the [[National Front (Colombia)|National Front]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Declaration-of-Sitges|title=Colombian history: Declaration of Sitges |website=Encyclopædia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2019-12-01}}</ref>

== Geography ==
The municipality of Sitges is located in the [[Garraf]] [[Comarcas of Catalonia|comarca]]. It is bordered to the north by the municipalities of [[Olivella]] and [[Begues]], to the west by [[Sant Pere de Ribes]] and [[Vilanova i la Geltrú]], to the east by [[Gavà]] and [[Castelldefels]], and to the south by the [[Mediterranean Sea]].
[[File:Municipio de Sitges (Provincia de Barcelona).svg|left|thumb|273x273px|Boundaries of the municipality of Sitges within the [[province of Barcelona]].]]
[[File:Santuari de la Mare de Déu del Vinyet (Sitges) - 1.jpg|thumb|Sanctuary of Our Lady of Vinyet (18th century), patroness of Sitges.]]
[[File:Claustre Palau Maricel Sitges.JPG|thumb|Interior view of Charles Deering's Palau Maricel]]
[[File:113 Can Bartomeu Carbonell, o Casa del Cap de la Vila.jpg|thumb|''Can Bartomeu'' (1915), also known as ''La Casa del Rellotge'' (The Clock House), one of Sitges' most iconic buildings.]]
[[File:080 Monument a Facundo Bacardí, de Lorenzo Quinn, pg. de la Ribera (Sitges).jpg|thumb|Monument to Facundo Bacardí (2009), by Lorenzo Quinn.]]
{{Adjacent communities|South=[[Mediterranean]]|South-east=|state=[[Catalonia]]|South-west=|Centre=Sitges|North-west=[[Sant Pere de Ribes]]|W=[[Vilanova i la Geltrú]]|WNW=[[Canyelles (town)|Canyelles]]|SOUTHWEST=|North-east=[[Barcelona]]|EAST=[[Garraf]]|North=[[Olivella]]|ENE=[[Castelldefels]]|WSW=|ESE=}}

==Carnival==
For over a century, Sitges has celebrated Carnestoltes, or [[Carnival]], between the months of February and March, according to the liturgical calendar. The festivities begin on Dijous Gras, or Fat Thursday, with King Carnestoltes' arrival. They continue until the burial of the sardine{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}} — late afternoon on [[Ash Wednesday]].

[[Folk dances]] and xatonades (traditional local salad served with assorted omelets) are also characteristic carnival elements. The two most important moments are the Rua de la Disbauxa, or the Debauchery Parade, on Sunday night and the Rua de l'Extermini, or Extermination Parade, on Tuesday night. Around forty floats with more than 2,000 participants fill Sitges. Many people come from all around to see it, describing it as a favourite time of year because of the celebration.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}

==Gastronomy==
''[[Xató]]'' is Sitges' most typical dish. Its first recorded mention is in local newspaper ''Eco de Sitges'' report on [[Fat Thursday]], published on 16 February 1896. The report refers to a meal that three days before had gathered together a selected group of Catalan artists and intellectuals, including [[Santiago Rusiñol]], [[Miquel Utrillo]] and [[Gaietà Buigas]]. The name "xató" comes from an expression pronounced years before by [[Canudas]], a member of the Rusiñol's group.{{cn|date=June 2022}}

[[Malvasia]] is a delicate liquor wine served in Sitges, primarily with dessert. The name "malvasia" comes from the Peloponnesian port [[Monemvasía]].{{cn|date=June 2022}}

==Museums==
* [[Cau Ferrat Museum]]
* [[Museu Romàntic Can Llopis]]
* [[Maricel Museum]]
* [[Fundació Stämpfli]] Contemporary Art<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.3cat24.cat/noticia/966886/garraf/El-Museu-dArt-Contemporani-de-Sitges-obrira-portes-el-mes-dabril-de-2011 |title=El Museu d'Art Contemporani de Sitges obrirà portes el mes d'abril de 2011 |date=3 December 2010 |website=3Cat24}}</ref>

==Beaches==
[[File:Beach-Monastery-in-sitges.jpg|thumb|The Beach and Church of Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla (church built in 17th-century with numerous later modifications.)]]

[[File:Sitges Passeig Marítim.jpg|thumb|Passeig Marítim Sitges at sunrise]]

Sitges has 17 sand beaches. Four of them are in the east: the first one called [[Les Botigues (Sitges)|Les Botigues]] at the beginning of the coast, next to the beaches of [[Castelldefels]] and the other three are following the coast of Garraf (Road C-31). One of them is [[Garraf (Sitges)|Garraf village]] beach.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}

There are eleven beaches in the town and two to its west, which are difficult to access.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}

All the eastern and urban beaches have flags indicating the state of the sea and most of them have quality diplomas and [[Blue Flag beach|blue flags]] awarded by the [[European Union]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}

There are three main nudist beaches located in Sitges. One of which is Platja dels Balmins, the second nudist beach is Platja d'Aiguadolç, both of these beaches are populated by all members of the community. The third nudist beach is Playa del Muerto, which is more populated by the gay community. Platja dels Balmins and Platja d'Aiguadolç are located on the eastern side of Sitges while Playa del Muerto is located on the western side of Sitges and is more difficult to reach.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nudist Beaches of Sitges|url=http://barcelona-home.com/blog/nudist-beaches-of-sitges/|website=Barcelona-Home Blog |date=30 April 2015 |access-date=2015-10-19 |language=en}}</ref>

==Education==
There are six public Catalan primary schools in Sitges: Escola Agnès de Sitges, Escola Esteve Barrachina, Escola Maria Ossó, Escola Miquel Utrillo, Escola Pia Sitges, and the catholic Camp Joliu.

Private schools include the French ''Lycée Bel Air'', and the English ''Richmond International'' and ''The Olive Tree School''.

The [[British School of Barcelona]] (BSB) also operates a campus in Sitges, providing education for primary (3-11 years), located in the upscale neighbourhood of Vallpineda.<ref>{{cite web |title=Contact Us |url=https://www.britishschoolbarcelona.com/contact-us/ |access-date=2020-05-25 |website=[[British School of Barcelona]] |quote=Passeig Isaac Albéniz, s/n 08870 Sitges Barcelona, Spain}} (This is visible by clicking the contact address information tabs at the footer of the page.)</ref>

The [[Institute of the Arts Barcelona]] is an international leader in performing arts training and education college based out of Terramar.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Institute of the Arts Barcelona: Performing Arts Training |url=https://www.iabarcelona.com/ |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=Institute of the Arts Barcelona |language=en-US}}</ref>

== LGBT Culture ==
Sitges is one of the world's top leaders in the protection and advocating for equal rights for the [[LGBT community]]. It is often described as the gay capital of Europe, particularly in peak season of the summer months of May to September.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=A Gay Guide To Sitges - LGBT tailor-made travel |url=https://www.outofoffice.com/blog/a-gay-guide-to-sitges/ |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=Out Of Office |language=en-US}}</ref>

With its spirit and vibrant urban atmosphere, Sitges has become one of the top gay holiday spots for [[LGBT tourism|LGBT tourists]] and is at the centre of gay European nightlife, including spas, shopping, and dining. A small but compact city, it contains a huge concentration of gay-friendly hotels, restaurants, shops, and over 20 gay bars.<ref name=":0" />

The key gay events are Carnival, Sitges Pride,<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 April 2024 |title=Gay Sitges Pride |url=https://www.gaysitgespride.com/  |access-date=9 April 2024}}</ref> Bears Week, Festa Major, and Circuit Barcelona.  (There is also a Sunway Sitges International Chess Festival.)

==Sister cities==
* {{Flag icon|FRA}} [[Bagnères-de-Luchon]] ([[France]])

==Motor racing==
Sitges is part of the long history of motor racing in [[Catalonia]]. From 1908 to 1920, events were staged over public roads from Sitges to [[Lloret de Mar|Canyelles]] to [[Vilanova i la Geltrú]], and from [[Mataró]] to [[Vilassar de Mar]] and [[Argentona]]. In 1922 and 1923, the [[Real Moto Club de Catalunya]] ran the [[Spanish Grand Prix|Penya Rhin Grand Prix]] over a 9-mile circuit around the town of [[Vilafranca del Penedès]] until it was replaced by a short lived purpose built circuit, the banked [[Autódromo de Sitges-Terramar]], which is still visible at {{Coord|41|14|18.35|N|1|46|50.20|E|region:ES_type:landmark}}. [[Albert Divo]] won the only [[Spanish Grand Prix]] held at the banked Sitges Terramar driving a [[Sunbeam Motor Car Company|Sunbeam]].

==Notable residents==
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦---> 
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
* [[Facundo Bacardí]] (1814&ndash;1886), businessman 
* [[Miguel Condé]] (1939), painter
* [[Rafael Font Farran]] (1912&ndash;2003), politician and journalist
* [[Mir Geribert]] (died 1060), Catalan nobleman
* [[Arcadi Mas i Fondevila]] (1852&ndash;1934), artist<!--- Last name - Mas... ---> 
* [[Santiago Rusiñol]] (1861&ndash;1931), artist
* [[Joan Sella i Montserrat]] (born 1960), journalist, writer and gastronomy critic<!--- Last name - Sella... ---> 
* [[Christopher Small]] (1927&ndash;2011), musician and ethnomusicologist

== Gallery ==
<gallery widths="200" heights="180">
File:Sitges sunset.jpg|Sunset in Sitges
File:Sitges, Spain - 50070080061.jpg|Aerial view of the town
File:Autòdrom de Terramar, Sitges (juliol 2012) - panoramio (4).jpg|The famously steep banks of the [[Autódromo de Sitges-Terramar]]
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Sitges Film Festival]]
* [[Sitges railway station]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* {{cite book |last1=Panareda Clopés |first1=Josep Maria |last2=Rios Calvet |first2=Jaume  |last3=Rabella Vives |first3=Josep Maria |name-list-style=amp |date=1989 |title=Guia de Catalunya |location=Barcelona |publisher=Caixa de Catalunya}} {{ISBN|84-87135-01-3}} (Spanish). {{ISBN|84-87135-02-1}} (Catalan).

==External links==
{{Commonscat|Sitges}}
* [http://www.sitges.cat/ Official website of Sitges Council]
* [https://www.sitgesanytime.com/en/ Official Tourism website of Sitges]
* [http://aplicacions.municat.gencat.cat/index.php?page=consulta&mostraEns=0827040003 Government data pages] {{in lang|ca}}
* [https://besidestheobvious.net/2022/05/29/sitges-the-pride-of-catalonia/?amp Sitges – The pride of Catalonia] {{in lang|en}}
* [https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sitges Wiktionary]

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Sitges
|N  = [[Begues]]<br />[[Olivella]]
|NE = [[Gavà]]
|E  = [[Castelldefels]]
|SE = 
|S  = ''[[Balearic Sea]]''
|SW = 
|W  = 
|NW = [[Sant Pere de Ribes]]
}}

{{Garraf}}
{{Municipalities in Barcelona}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Sitges| ]]
[[Category:Tourism in Spain]]
[[Category:Seaside resorts in Spain]]
[[Category:Mediterranean port cities and towns in Spain]]
[[Category:Gay villages in Spain]]