Vinaixa

History

The municipality core of Vinaixa emerged in the 8th century, from an Arab enclave around a castle. In the 12th century, the village was called Avinasha (from Arabic, Ibn Aisa 'son of Aixa'). The Castle of Vinaixa (Cal Tarragó) is located at the highest point of the village (482 metres). It is an ancient Arab guistan with castle honours, around which the village of Beni-Aixa was ordered, from which the municipality of Vinaixa takes its name, and refers to the family that owns the property and lands of the area in the Arab era. Currently, it is privately owned. With the advance of the Christians, the nucleus was resettled by Ramon Berenguer IV, who granted settlement charters in the 12th century to the people of Tàrrega. Berenguer de Puigverd granted several instruments in favour of the Poblet Abbey which in the 13th century acquired total jurisdiction. The hermitage of Sant Bonifaci is located 6.5 km from the urban centre. It is dedicated to Saint Boniface, to whom Vinaixa professes devotion. It appears that the hermitage was already built in the 14th century, but did not possess the saint's relic until May 1682.

Geography

Vinaixa is a municipality located in the south-eastern sector of the region of Les Garrigues, in a high area, on the border with the Conca de Barberà, and in the line of historical communications of the coast with the interior. The term has an area of and extends in the shape of a rectangle. It borders Vimbodí i Poblet, Vallclara, El Vilosell, L'Albi, Les Borges Blanques, La Floresta, Els Omellons, L'Espluga Calba, Fulleda and Tarrés. The population centre is in the southern half of the term, 480.90 meters at the level of the sea.

Most-observed species

• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  966
• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  874
• European Serin

  Serinus serinus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  847
• Sardinian Warbler

  Curruca melanocephala (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  756
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  753
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  748
• European Goldfinch

  Carduelis carduelis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  737
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  668

Most recent

• M 3 — 2008-12-29
  4 km NNE of Monzón, Spain
• M 2.8 — 2008-06-17
  12 km SSE of Tarragona, Spain
• M 2.6 — 2008-03-14
  3 km N of Vilaplana, Spain
• M 2.7 — 2008-02-23
  15 km S of Sort, Spain
• M 2.5 — 2008-01-26
  5 km ENE of la Morera de Montsant, Spain
• M 2.5 — 2008-01-13
  Pyrenees