View source for Valls

{{other uses}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Valls
| native_name             = 
| settlement_type         = [[Municipalities of Catalonia|Municipality]]
| image_skyline           = Carrer_de_la_Cort_(Valls)_02.JPG
| imagesize               = 
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = 
| image_flag              = 
| flag_size               = 
| flag_alt                = 
| image_shield            = Escut de Valls.svg
| shield_size             = 
| shield_alt              = 
| nickname                = 
| motto                   = 
| image_map               = Localització de Valls respecte de l'Alt Camp.svg

| pushpin_map             = Spain Catalonia vegueries#Spain
| pushpin_map_caption     = 
| coordinates             = {{coord|41|17|18|N|1|15|7|E|source:cawiki|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type  = [[Sovereign state]]
| subdivision_name  = {{flag|Spain}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[Autonomous communities of Spain|Community]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|Catalonia}}
| subdivision_type2       = [[Vegueria|Region]]
| subdivision_name2       = [[Camp de Tarragona]]
| subdivision_type3       = [[Comarques of Catalonia|County]]
| subdivision_name3       = [[Alt Camp]]
| subdivision_type4       = [[Provinces of Spain|Province]]
| subdivision_name4       = [[province of Tarragona|Tarragona]]
| established_title       = 
| established_date        = 
| leader_party            = 
| leader_title            = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name             = Dolors Farré i Cuadras (2019) ([[Together for Catalonia (2020)|JxC]])
| area_total_km2          = 55.3
| elevation_footnotes     = 
| elevation_m             = 215
| population_as_of        = {{Spain metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
| population_footnotes    = {{Spain metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
| population_total        = {{Spain metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_demonym      = vallenc, -enca<br>(pl. vallencs, -enques)
| population_note         = 
| postal_code_type        = 
| postal_code             = 43800
| area_code_type          = 
| area_code               =
| blank_name              = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank_info              = [[Mediterranean climate#Hot-summer Mediterranean climate|Csa]] 
| website                 = {{URL|valls.cat}}
| footnotes               = 
}}
'''Valls''' ({{IPA|ca|baʎs}}) is a city and municipality in the [[Camp de Tarragona]] region in [[Catalonia]], Spain. It is the capital of the [[Comarques of Catalonia|comarca]] of [[Alt Camp]]. It has a population of {{Population WD}}.

Valls is known for its [[calçot]]s – a type of scallion or green onion – and the human towers tradition known as the [[castell]]s. The town is the birthplace of the composer [[Robert Gerhard]] (1896–1970). The [[Battle of Valls]], during the [[Peninsular Wars]], took place on 25 February 1809.

==Geography==
Valls is the capital of the ''[[Comarques of Catalonia|comarca]]'' of [[Alt Camp]]. With a population of 24,570 inhabitants in 2014, it represents more than half of the population of the county.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.idescat.cat/emex/?lang=en&id=431613|title=El municipi en xifres: Valls|publisher=[[Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya|Statistical Institute of Catalonia]]|access-date=2015-11-23}}</ref> It is located next to the [[Francolí (river)|River Francolí]], near [[Reus]] ([[Baix Camp]]) and [[Tarragona]] ([[Tarragonès]]), the capital of the [[Province of Tarragona|Spanish province]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Philip's Modern School Atlas |year=1973 |publisher=George Philip & Son |isbn=0-540-05278-7 |page=37}}</ref>

==Culture==
[[File:4 de 9 sense folre - Colla Joves Xiquets de Valls - Primer descarregat a Valls (27-10-2013).jpg|thumb|left|Colla Joves dels Xiquets de Valls]]
[[File:Calçotada a Valls (Catalonia).jpg|thumb|left|Calçotada]]

Valls is known for its culinary tradition, the feasting on [[calçot]]s at what is known as a "calçotada". The calçots are a large type of sweet-flavoured [[Scallion|spring onion]], barbecued over a pit of flaming vines, and eaten piping hot with a sauce. The calçotada continues with a main course of meats and sausages grilled over the same glowing coals, and is washed down with locally produced wines. The calçots are only available between December and May and draw diners from as far away as [[Barcelona]]. The calçot is grown locally and has a "PGI" (Protected Geographical Indication) status in the same way that [[champagne]] does.<ref>{{cite news |title=Calçots in Catalonia, where they know their onions |author=Scott-Moncrieff, Chloe |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/cal-ots-in-catalonia-where-they-know-their-onions-9175984.html |newspaper=Independent |date=8 March 2014 |access-date=1 October 2015}}</ref>

Another cultural tradition of Valls is the practice of building "[[castell]]s" at festivals, towers of people sometimes as much as ten individuals high, with each layer being supported by the people below.<ref name=Xiquets/> This human tower tradition originated in the ''Ball dels Valencians'' in Valls, first recorded in 1712,<ref name=Xiquets>{{cite web|last1=Català i Roca|first1=Pere|title=Els castells dels xiquets de Valls|url=http://usuaris.tinet.cat/rclibru/sonsimusiques/castellsxiquetsdevalls.htm|website=Valls sons i musiques de festa |access-date=9 November 2015|language=ca}}</ref> and later spread to nearby towns such as [[Vilafranca del Penedès]] and [[Tarragona]], and more recently, to other parts of Catalonia.<ref>{{cite news|title=Los 'castells', Patrimonio de la Humanidad|url=https://cultura.elpais.com/cultura/2010/11/16/actualidad/1289862002_850215.html|access-date=9 November 2015|newspaper=El País|date=16 November 2010|language=es}}</ref>

The composer [[Roberto Gerhard]] was born in Valls in 1896. He studied under [[Charles Koechlin]] in Paris and under [[Arnold Schoenberg]] in Vienna and Berlin before returning to Barcelona in 1928. During the [[Spanish Civil War]] he supported the [[Republican faction (Spanish Civil War)|Republican cause]] and was forced to flee the country in 1939, first to Paris and then to England where he spent the rest of his life, while his town was bombarded and a lot of Republican and Catholic citizens were killed. His works were virtually banned from performance in Spain under [[Francisco Franco]]. His output included symphonies, stage works, [[chamber music]], [[Choir|choral music]] and [[electronic music]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boosey.com/pages/cr/composer/composer_main.asp?composerid=2716&ttype=BIOGRAPHY&ttitle=Biography |title=Roberto Gerhard Biography|publisher=Boosey & Hawkes, Inc.|access-date=2 October 2015}}</ref>

In January 2017, Valls City Council announced the start of construction of a multimedia museum devoted to the culture of castells, called the [[Món Casteller. The Human Towers Experience|Casteller Museum of Catalonia]] ("Museu Casteller de Catalunya"), marketed in English as "The Human Towers Experience".<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/_-GgQ8Uyz5A Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200430013710/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-GgQ8Uyz5A&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-GgQ8Uyz5A|title=The Human Towers Experience|author=Valls City Council|date=2017-01-04|access-date=2014-01-17}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The project was initially launched in 2015,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elvallenc.cat/actualitat/valls-celebra-amb-una-gran-festa-linici-de-les-obres-del-museu-casteller-2/|title=Valls celebra amb una gran festa l’inici de les obres del Museu Casteller|publisher=El Vallenc|date=2015-03-27|access-date=2017-01-17}}</ref> and is supported by the Catalan government.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ara.cat/castells/Museu-Casteller-Catalunya-concurs_0_1406259434.html|title=El projecte del Museu Casteller de Catalunya entra a concurs|publisher=[[Ara (newspaper)|Ara]]|date=2015-08-04|access-date=2017-01-17}}</ref>

==Sport==
Football clubs [[UE Valls|Unió Esportiva Valls]] and Atlètic de Valls play in the town, as does [[CB Valls]], a basketball club.

==Notable people==
*[[Jaume Huguet]] (1412–1492), gotic painter
*[[Narcís Oller]] (1846–1933), novelist
*[[Maria Güell]] (1848–1921), [[The Venerable|venerable]] Roman Catholic religious sister
*[[Tomàs Caylà]] (1895–1936), publisher and [[carlist]] politician
*[[Robert Gerhard]] (1896–1970), composer
*[[Ignacio F. Iquino]] (1910–1994), film director, producer, actor, cinematographer
*[[Pedro Lazaga]] (1918–1979), film director and screenwriter
*[[Cèsar Puig]] (1956), lawyer and politician
*[[Xavier Tondo]] (1978–2011), cyclist
*[[Andrea Fuentes]] (1983), synchronised swimmer, four Olympic medals
*[[Aleix Vidal]] (1989), footballer

==Twin towns==
*{{flagicon|AND}} [[Andorra la Vella]], Andorra
*{{flagicon|GUA}} [[Chahal, Guatemala|Chahal]], Guatemala
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Deqing County, Zhejiang|Deqing]], China
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Settimo Torinese]], Italy

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

== Literature ==
* Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria (1989). ''Guia de Catalunya'', Barcelona: Caixa de Catalunya. {{ISBN|84-87135-01-3}} (Spanish). {{ISBN|84-87135-02-1}} (Catalan).

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{Official website}} {{in lang|ca}}
*[http://aplicacions.municat.gencat.cat/index.php?page=consulta&mostraEns=4316130008 Government data pages] {{in lang|ca}}

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Valls
|N  = [[Figuerola del Camp]]
|NE = [[El Pla de Santa Maria]]
|E  = [[Alió]]
|SE = [[Puigpelat]]
|S  = [[Vallmoll]]
|SW = [[El Milà]]<br>[[La Masó]]
|W  = [[La Riba]]<br>[[Alcover]]
|NW = [[Montblanc, Tarragona|Montblanc]]
}}
{{Alt Camp}}
{{Municipalities in Tarragona|state=autocollapse}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Valls| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities in Alt Camp]]