More than 2.000 years ago the first settlers (the
Iberians) founded their first village near the Vilot hill.
Anyway, Almacelles was an important crossroads during
the Roman age, when the essential Roman way which
went from Ilerda (Lleida) to Osca (Huesca) crossed the
Almacelles township. We can see different Roman
milestones dated at the I century a.C. during Claudio’s
emperor period at the “plaça de la Vila” (Vila Square)
and at the Culture Centre hall.
The first village located near the Vilot hill becames really
important during the Arabian period. The Arabian Al-
Manzil presumed to have an important defense tower at
the top of this hill as same as the Arabian castle of Zaidia, the actual Saira
(another little village which belongs administratively to Almacelles).
At 1149, the Catalan king Ramon Berenguer IV,
conquers this territories from the muslims and
repopulates Almacelles with christians who comes
from the Pyrinees attracted by excellent privileges. At
about the beginning of the XIVth century it is
appointed the border between Catalonia and Aragon
territories in the Almacelles’ Clamor stream. This
border still continues nowadays dividing both
communities but it’s just an administrative line
because in the culture, social or commercial fields,
Catalans and Aragoneses have always been in good
contact.
During the Middle Age, and despite of the epidemics,
hunger and bandits; Almacelles continued being a
really important crossroads and a well known village, thanks –specially- to the
Royal Cattle Crossing wich goes past Almacelles and communicates the fields
near the valleys with the highest lands, near the Pyrenees, so there are always
a huge number of herds, shepherds, buyers and sellers that found in Almacelles
a strategic place where their animals could pasture and where they could set up
their business in these so rich Almacelles plains.
This relative peace finish with the Segadors War (1640-1652), when Almacelles
is completely destroyed and abandoned, due to its location in the middle of the
battlefield, and the final victory of the spanish king Felipe IV.
Almacelles is completely deserted during
more than a century. This situation
ends when a rich textile wholesaler
from Barcelona bought this village and
its township to the Spanish king Carlos
III, who conceders Almacelles and its
title deed to Melcior de Guardia i Matas
in 1773. Few months later, the maps
of the new Almacelles would pretend
to refound a new village under the Age
of
Enlightment ideas and the good work
of one of the best Barcelona’s
architects: Josep Mas Dordal. Step by
step, the new Almacelles town became
bigger and bigger thanks to new people
who decided to come looking for a better
life. During the napoleonic invasion,
all the population from Almacelles goes
to Lleida to take refuge and came back
again after the war (1814).
The XIXth century finish with the railway
and train arribal (1861) and the beginning
of one of the most important works which
will change the Almacelles people life
forever: the Aragon and Catalonia’s
Canal. In 1910, this canal begins to
work and the agriculture and economy
of the town changes radically. This
water helps to irrigate huge fields
which are completely unproductive just
a few years ago. Then, thousands of
new farmers come to Almacelles from
everywhere for work and, still now,
Almacelles celebrates every year the
Water’s Party (Festa de l’Aigua)
as a homage to this so important Canal.
Spanish War (1936-1939) falls to this
period of prosperity but anyway not
so much as in other adjoining villages,
so Almacelles goes on with its growth
and progress, becoming nowadays one
of the most important department of
Lleida towns.
