Santa Bàrbara: Masades, the Via Augusta and olive oil

The masades, the Via Augusta route, church art and the olive oil tradition give Santa Bàrbara a range of cultural highlights. When planning your trip, you can arrange these themes by subject and timing: local history and architecture sit alongside a route and a fair traditionally held in November. The key question is whether you are most interested in the development of the plain and its buildings, or want to plan your trip around a particular time of year and the fair.

Landscape and history of the masades

Santa Bàrbara lies in the middle of the plain of la Galera, surrounded by large olive groves and between the two major natural parks of Els Ports and the Ebro Delta. The settlement of the plain and the construction of large masades are closely tied to the history of the town. From the 18th century onwards, these masades occupied large parts of the flat area. Their development is therefore connected with the plain. For a historical focus, this connection is a good starting point for understanding the architectural features that emerged later.

In the 19th century, the remote location of the masades of Santa Bàrbara and the intensity of the Carlist Wars in this area led to unique and distinctive architectural features. Two different historical periods therefore stand side by side: the settlement and spread of the masades from the 18th century onwards, and the distinctive building forms of the 19th century. One of the oldest masades in the town is the Masada de Martí. The Centre d'Interpretació de la Vida a la Plana is housed in its former olive oil mill. The centre’s location thus connects the history of an old masada with the building’s former use as an olive oil mill.

Collection, architecture and church art

At the Museu de la Vida a la Plana, the Col·lecció d’Història Natural „Josep Antoni Valls“ presents palaeontological and mineralogical exhibits. Alongside architectural history, palaeontology and mineralogy offer a natural history focus. Visitors interested in the town’s different themes will therefore find a different perspective here from that offered by the history of the masades: the focus is on exhibits in the fields of natural history, palaeontology and mineralogy.

The Església arxiprestal de Santa Bàrbara also offers its own architectural and art-historical perspective. It was designed towards the end of the 19th century and draws on the neo-Romanesque aesthetic of eclectic and historicist architecture. The main altarpiece by Carles Arola depicts the life of the Virgin and martyr Santa Bàrbara in twelve panels. The church building and altarpiece thus offer two different points of interest: the architectural classification of the building and the life story depicted in the artwork.

The Via Augusta and a November event

A Via Augusta route in Santa Bàrbara runs for 6.4 km along the Via Augusta. Alongside local themes such as the masades and the church, this offers a route with a clearly stated distance. When weighing up different options for your trip, you can consider the architectural history and the course of the Via Augusta as two separate themes.

The Fira de l'Oli Novell, els Cítrics i el Comerç has been held in Santa Bàrbara since 1997. It traditionally takes place on the third weekend of November, when the first new-season oil comes out of the presses. At the same time, the town’s restaurants offer tasting menus featuring local oil and citrus fruits as part of the Jornades Gastronòmiques de la Cuina de l'Oli. If you are particularly interested in the fair and gastronomic menus, this weekend is a specific seasonal reference point for planning your trip. Check the dates for the relevant year if the event is a deciding factor for your stay.

Discover more destinations: La Pobla De Montornès, Sant Jaume D'enveja, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Escaladei, Santa Coloma De Queralt, Guialmons, La Palma D'ebre, Montferri.

For the broader travel overview: Tarragona.