Terrassa
Terrassa is a city and municipality in the Vallès Occidental comarca of the province of Barcelona, within the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain.[1] With a population of 228,294 as of 2024, it ranks as the third-largest municipality in Catalonia by population, following Barcelona and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat.[1][2] Situated approximately 25 kilometers northwest of Barcelona at an elevation of 277 meters, Terrassa serves as one of the two capitals of Vallès Occidental county, alongside Sabadell, and forms part of the Barcelona metropolitan area.[1][2] The city's origins trace back to the Roman settlement of Egara, established as a municipium in the 1st century AD, which later became a Visigothic bishopric around 450 AD, evidenced by the Episcopal Complex of Egara featuring early Christian basilicas.[3] Terrassa experienced significant growth during the 19th-century Industrial Revolution, emerging as a major center for textile manufacturing, particularly woolens, which spurred economic expansion and the construction of distinctive industrial Modernist architecture by architects such as Lluís Domènech i Montaner.[2][3] This heritage is preserved in sites like the former Aymerich, Amatller, and Jover textile factory, now housing the National Science and Technology Museum (mNACTEC).[2] In the modern era, Terrassa has diversified its economy beyond textiles into services, advanced manufacturing, technology, and the audiovisual sector, earning designation as a UNESCO City of Film due to its contributions to cinema production and education.[4] The municipality's gross domestic product exceeds €4 billion annually, positioning it as the fourth-largest economy among Catalan cities.[5] Notable cultural assets include the Masia Freixa, a prime example of Catalan Modernism, and ongoing preservation efforts for its industrial legacy amid urban development.[6]
Geography
Location and Physical Features
Terrassa lies approximately 28 kilometers northwest of Barcelona in the Vallès Occidental comarca of Catalonia, Spain.[7] [1] The municipality occupies 70.16 km² within the Llobregat River basin, where local intermittent streams known as rieras, including the Riera de les Arenes, drain into larger tributaries like the Rubí stream.[1] [8] [9]
The city's topography features elevations averaging 383 meters, with variations from around 250 meters in lower zones to over 500 meters in peripheral hills, positioning Terrassa in the Catalan Prelitoral depression as a gateway between the coastal plains and pre-Pyrenean uplands.[10] [11] This terrain supports integrated urban sprawl within the Barcelona metropolitan area, encompassing industrial districts, residential suburbs, and preserved green spaces such as the Parc de Vallparadís, which traces the path of the Vallparadís torrent.[10] [12]