Manresa

Manresa (Catalan pronunciation: [mənˈrɛzə]) is the capital of Bages county, located in the central region of Catalonia. Crossed by the river Cardener, it is located in an industrial area with textile, metallurgical, and glass industries. The houses of Manresa are arranged around the basilica of Santa Maria de la Seu. Ignatius of Loyola stopped to pray in the town on his way back from Montserrat in 1522. He also read in solitude in a cave near the town for a year, which contributed to the formulation of his Spiritual Exercises. The town is a place of pilgrimage for Catholics. It is believed the comarcal name "Bages" comes from a corruption of the Latin "Bacchus" due to the extensive production of wine in the area. The wine was produced from grapes grown mainly in terraced vineyards, and a number of these old terraces can be seen today. Wine ceased to be the main product of the area as a consequence of phylloxera, but is still an important part of the Manresa/Bages economy. During the Napoleonic invasion, the volunteer troops of Manresa (sometent in the Catalan language) defeated the French troops in the El Bruc Pass in June 1808, but the retreating French burned and demolished much of the town. After the expulsion of Napoleon's troops, Manresans rebuilt the town using the rubble.