Tàrrega

Tàrrega lies on the inland Catalan plain, on a route between Barcelona and Lleida. Markets, fairs and crafts linked the town to its agricultural surroundings, while municipal privileges supported its role as a local centre. In 1458 King John II granted the privilege of holding a Monday market.

The town and its Jewish community expanded in the early fourteenth century, but poor harvests and economic strain preceded the Black Death. In July 1348 attackers descended on the Jewish quarter; royal documents and archaeological discoveries in the cemetery bear witness to the violence. The community later recovered. Tàrrega was affected by successive wars, including the Catalan civil war of 1462–72 and the conflicts of 1640–52 and 1705–14. Its markets and institutions nevertheless continued to connect the town with the surrounding countryside.