History of l’Ampolla

l’Ampolla is the offspring of the beautiful Mediterranean Sea and the lively river Ebro, the history of l’Ampolla begin with its physiognomy. From the merger between the river and the sea, between the sand and the waves, they played to love each other to model a large pond with a bottle shape, this small marine population was born that was growing near the old mouth of the Ebro.

The name of l’Ampolla is due to the amphora silhouette that had the old mouth of the river, a space that currently concentrates all the components of the Ebro Delta: sea, bay, land, dunes… one space where alters the flat terrain of alluvial alternates with the steep coastline, mud with rocks, olive trees with rice fields, margins with lagoons… creating a unique water blend of Mediterranean essence.

First origins

The origins of l’Ampolla go back to the Iberian era. Historians have identified l’Ampolla as being the Hellenic city known as Lebedontia, populated by the Iber tribe known as the edentants or erdets. Remains of Roman and Pre-Roman occupation in the form of coins, amphora’s and antefixes (baked clay images in the shape of a woman) have confirmed that the roots of the village go right back to these times.

S. XVI – XIX

In its first origins, l’Ampolla had been an old guesthouse in Tortosa, located on the road between Tarragona and Valencia. According to ancient documents, in the sixteenth century, this place was already inhabited by several families of fishermen. l’Ampolla’s history is not only closely linked to fishing activity, but also to maritime traffic. As an example, in the middle of the 16th century, Pope Adrià embarked from l’Ampolla to go to Rome.

In the late nineteenth century, the progress influenced the development of the Spanish coast, which helped to define the tourist profile of l’Ampolla and favored its approach to the major Catalan cities. Quickly, the town’s beaches were greatly appreciated during the bathing season, especially among the inhabitants of Tortosa, from where a special train for swimmers in the summer came. Since then, the summer season and tourism have become two key elements in the economy of l’Ampolla.

The great events of history in the international fields have also had an impact on the history of the village. In 1917, in the context of the First World War, a German submarine sank the French ship Medjerda.

As a sign of gratitude for the help to the shipwrecks, the French government flattered the village with the statue of the warrior, a bronze commemorative sculpture.

At currently

Despite having remote origins, l’Ampolla is one of the youngest towns in Terres de l’Ebre.

And, is that during the twentieth century, its main historical episode was the dispute for the segregation of El Perelló, which the people achieved after 50 years of confrontations between the two municipalities.

On 1937, the Official Journal of the Generalitat (the Autonomous Government of Catalonia) published a decree in which it acknowledged the separation of the district of l’Ampolla from the municipality of Perelló and its status as an independent municipal district.

When, in 1938, the decree of Burgos was enacted, all the legal activities of the republican government were prohibited and thus the decree acknowledging the independence of l’Ampolla was also suspended.

The town of l’Ampolla’s desire for independence arose once more with the end of the Franco regime. In 1976 the Independence Committee was set up. It succeeded in initiating the legal processes for independence. However, it was not until 15 November 1989 that the Spanish Supreme Court ruled that it was in favour of the new municipal district of l’Ampolla being created. Three months later, on 28 February 1990, a new judgement was ruled by the Supreme Court that completed the process for self-government of the town of l’Ampolla, as a municipality within Catalonia. The Town Council was set up on 5 May 1990.