Aitona

Aitona, a town located in the Ribera Baixa del Segre, spread across the Quaternary river terraces; to the left, to the hills of the Sierra Grossa, which already announce Les Garrigues, and, to the right, to the plateau that separates the waters of the Segre and the Cinca, called the Llitera.

Much of the water from the Segre is diverted by a canal that runs parallel to the river on its left and is intended to feed the Seròs hydroelectric plant, located within the municipality of Aitona, in the Carratalà ravine. This channel forms several reservoirs such as Utxesa or Secano (within the municipality of Torres de Segre ) and Burgebut; Through the Els Plans irrigation canal, part of the water from this canal is used to irrigate the orchards on the river bank.

The upper part of the territory located to its right, especially the Pla de la Llitera, is irrigated with water from the Aragón and Catalonia canal - which, however, does not pass through the municipal area -, and the lower part is irrigated by the Remolins irrigation canal and the Greater Aitona irrigation canal (which takes its water from the Segre in front of Torres de Segre, and, after irrigating part of this area and those of Soses and Aitona, drains into the ravine of the Grado valley). Agriculture is the main economic activity; livestock and industry - except electricity production - are insignificant.

The population of the municipality, relatively stable, has had a tendency to decrease since 1950. The town is located on the slope and at the foot of a hill, crowned by the remains of a castle already witnessed in Muslim times. It was conquered by Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona, although the Muslim population survived until the expulsion of the Moors, in 1610 (724 were expelled from Aitona); the lordship belonged to the Moncada family).

Within the municipal area there are the unpopulated and ancient towns of Genó and Carratalà, as well as some prehistoric sites (from the beginning of the Iron Age), Iberian (villages of Vilars), Roman (villas of Filans and Plans). ) and Muslims.

PLACES OF INTEREST

• House of Father Francesc Palau in Aitona
• Aitona Castle
• Parish Church of Sanr Antolí de Aitona
• Sant Gaietà de Aitona
• Sant Joan de Carratala de Aitona
• Viewpoint of Sant Joan de Carratala