La Riba it is located in a small mountain pass of the Francolí river, between the Prades and the Miramar mountain range, just in the point where the Brugent river ends at the Francolí's one.

   The sheer and rocky landscape is ordered by terraces which were constructed to take advantage of the earth unevesses and make the farming possible. These pleats were built between the XVIII and the XIX century with dry stone.

   The cultivation of the olive tree, the hazel, the vine and the vegetable gardens were the main agricultural activities, but the economy of la Riba turns around the paper mill industry that takes advantage of the water from the rivers to move the mills.

   At the XVIII century, starting from the installation of the first modern mills of paper. La Riba received a strong growth and a significant increase of the population that stayed until the XIX century, time at which there were 42 mills stationers. Others were dedicated to the production of oil, bleach, gunpowder, electricity...

MONUMENTS AND PLACES OF INTEREST

   TORRE DE PUIG CABRÉ O DEL PETROL - The Tower of Puig Cabré or the Petrol rises on the top of a mountain creating a unevenness of 230 metres by the river. One is a fortification of the XIX century to defend the natural way of communication between the Camp of Tarragona and the Conca of the Barberà. In 1989 was declared Military Historical Patrimony of Catalonia.

   SANT NICOLAU'S CHURCH - Located in the main nucleus, the floor, big and spacious, has Latin cross form. The relationship of the main nave with the two lateral ones is raised by a cupola. It contained an important baroque altarpiece dedicated to Sant Nicolau, patron saint of the villa, that was burned in 1936. It was constructed between 1764 and 1770. The stone bell tower was finished constructing in 1792 and emphasizes in the landscape giving a special personality to the village.

   THE MILLS - The territory of the Riba is rich in waters, in addition to the fountains of the population, the most characteristic fountains are the one of the Mas, Fountain of the Cadireta, of the Riba, of Gran and the Fountain of Pascual.

   Inside the population many streets are aligned as the one of the Costa; and takes advantage of the fallen of the water is jumping from a mill to another one. The oldest mills were the mill de ca la Viuda (1721), the mill de cal Garreta (1758) and the mill of Més Amunt (1791).

   Next to the Brugent river there were different mills and, although most of them corresponded to other municipal terms, their proprietors were of the Riba. Between these buildings there was the Figuerola's mill, that counted with an hermitage dedicated to Sant Domènec, mill of the Font Gran (at the beginning of the century it became a fish farm), mill of Mas (building destined to the future stationer museum).

    Close to the Francolí river, the mill of the Estret, mill of the Manxes, mill of the Roca (converted in an industry), mill of the Roixeles, the most important and where the spinners, the paper and the bleach were made.

   The watered down of Santa Tecla of 1874, damaged the mills installed in the two river basins.

RURAL TOURISM

RESTAURANTS

LINKS

Original: L'ALT CAMP (Consell Comarcal de l'Alt Camp) Year: 2000 - English translation: Teresa Paladella

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