Lleida

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Image:LleidaSeu20030605.jpg Lleida (Catalan, Spanish: Lérida (although officially referred as Lleida)) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name, and has 119,935 inhabitants as of 2004. Its main industries are agriculture and tourism.

It is a Catalan-speaking town and province, with a characteristic dialect (known as Western or, more specifically, North-Western Catalan) with features such as lo and los for the definite article, or final a pronounced as /ɛ/. Some of these features, however, are nowadays more common among older people and in the province rather than in the town of Lleida, where only the phonetic aspects of the dialect are preserved. Castilian Spanish is spoken by everyone as well.

In ancient times it was named Iltrida and Ilerda (after the Ilergets, an Iberian tribe). The Battle of Ilerda, one of the most important battles of the Roman Civil War fought between Julius Caesar and Pompeius took place in 49 BC. It was conquered from the Moors by the Count Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona in 1148. It was the seat of a major university until 1717. Lleida served as a key defense point for Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War, and fell to the Insurgents in 1938.

Lleida is currently the eastern terminus of the Spanish state railway's AVE high-speed rail line, serving Zaragoza, Calatayud, Guadalajara, and Madrid. The line is expected to be extended to Barcelona in the next few years.

A Latin-American cinema festival is held yearly in the town, and an animation film festival called Animac also takes place there every May.

Some interesting sights of the town are

The Seu Vella, a Cathedral built in a blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles over the time, and made a military fortress in the 18th century and the older Palau de la Suda, both over the so-called Turó de la Seu, a medium-sized hill.
The Seu Nova, the New Cathedral used since Bourbon rule. It was burnt during the Spanish Civil War by the anarchists commanded by Durruti.
Institut d'Estudis Ilerdencs, used to be a hospital (Antic Hospital de Santa Maria) built in a Gothic style, but nowadays it is an historical museum and research centre open to visitors.
La Paeria, the city council and also, a historical site with remains and pieces of art from Roman times, to the Moorish rule, to Mediaeval and Modern times.
The castle of Gardeny, a fortress used by the Knights Templar in the Middle Ages.
The gardens known as Camps Elisis, already used by the Romans
The Bishop's Palace also serves as an art museum showing pieces included in the styles spanning from Romanesque to Baroque.