Sidamon

Sidamon is located in the western sector of the Pla d'Urgell region and 232 meters above sea level. It borders the municipalities of Bell-lloc d'Urgell, El Palau d'Anglesola, Fondarella, Mollerussa and Torregrossa. Its term has an area of 8.16 km2. with irrigated crops (cereals, vegetables, fruit trees...) and dry land; as well as poultry farms, and cattle and pigs.

The population of Sidamon is of Saracen origin. Already in the year 1079, the "Liber Feudorum mayor" contains "Aquam vivamente que este ultra Cidamundum", a hybrid word from Arabic and Latin; then Sidamon and its Castle had already been taken by Ramón Berenguer I and assigned to the diocese of Vic (where it remained until the end of the 16th century when it passed to Solsona ) and, in this document, the brothers Ramon Berenguer II and Berenguer Ramón II, make a donation of the territory between Anglesola, Sidamon and Torregrossa to the knight Berenguer Gombau of the House of Anglesola, territory that had constituted for almost a century the limit of the Catalan lands before Lleida and where the counts of Barcelona often resided in their enterprises against the city of Segre, Sidamon and the Palau d'Anglesola continued in the hands of this lineage until the reign of James I. Between the two towns there was, in the mid-12th century, a hospital to welcome the sick and pilgrims.

In 1182, in his will, Bernat de Anglesola gave recognition to the monastery of Poblet for the care of this hospital. Later, years before 1260, Guillem de Anglesola, about to join the Templar order, sold the castle and places of Sidamon to Hugo de Cervià, but the latter's wife, Guilleuma, denounced the master of the Templars (1260 ) that William's son, Guillem de Anglesola, younger son had violently occupied the castle of Sidamon in agreement with his father, already a Templar.

In the 1358 census, Sidamon had 35 houses and, like the Palau de Anglesola, belonged to the military order of Sant Jaume de l'Espasa, within the Montalbà commission. In the census (fogatge) of 1365 it had 30 fires, owned by the knight Acard de Muro. Like the Palau, it was part of the Tàrrega veguería since 1330 and in 1373 it was exchanged by Enrique de Trastámara, king of Castile, and passed from the order of Santiago to the Count of Empúries (given by the king) and three years later to Pedro Sacalua, until in 1405 the Hospitallers acquired both places, with all civil and criminal jurisdiction, within the command of Espluga Calva, where they remained until the end of the Old Regime.

In the years of maximum banditry activity in the region, Sidamon was the scene (1587/88) of an important robbery carried out by the famous bandit Minyó de Montellà, a theft of the King's currency, in one of the largest consignments. of gold that Philip II of Spain sent to Italy for the soldiers of the regiments.

It was depopulated after the Reapers' War and in 1717 it had a common mayor with Fondarella and Bell-lloc (who also began forestation). Zamora stated on his trip (1787) that the surroundings of Sidamon are well planted with olive trees. It had been partially rebuilt in 1810, when in contributions to the French who occupied Lleida, Sidamon had to give 500 quintals of fodder.

The construction of the Urgell Canal represented prosperity for the population. Work begins to modernize the city, with the bringing of water and electricity, the roads that connect with neighboring towns are fixed, and ultimately, Sidamon is urbanized.

In recent years, work has been done to provide the municipality with all basic services in good condition. The canal park has been improved and the town also has a motorhome park with all services. In addition, there is also a petanque and picnic area.

Reference must also be made to the social fabric of the people of Sidamon, where a series of social and sports entities have emerged. All this human wealth, well complemented by the service installation asset and industrial zone, make the town a very welcoming and pleasant place, which in recent years has experienced a notable increase in its population.