Vic, Spain

Vic is a city in Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital of a region called Osona, which is part of the province of Barcelona. The city is about 69 kilometers, or 43 miles, from the big city of Barcelona and around 60 kilometers, or 37 miles, from Girona. Many people visit Vic to see its old buildings and learn about its history. The way people say the name "Vic" in Catalan, a language spoken in Catalonia, sounds like "bik."

Geography

Vic is located in the middle of the Plain of Vic, right between Barcelona and the Pyrenees mountains.

During winter, Vic often has fog because of something called a thermal inversion. Temperatures can get very cold, sometimes as low as -10 °C. The area also has moist summers, and its natural plants include a special type of oak tree found in places like eastern France, Northern Italy, and the Balkans.

Names

Vic was originally called Auso and later known in Latin as Vicus Ausonae. The word comes from the Latin vicus, meaning a small neighborhood or town. Over time, it became Vich in Old Catalan.

In 1715, some Spanish rules tried to change the name to Vique, but this didn’t last long. By 1789, the name was back to Vich. In 1913, new spelling rules removed the silent “h” from the end of words in Catalan. Since 1982, the official name has been Vic.

History

The town has been known for strong feelings about being separate from larger groups.

In 1991, a dangerous act by a group trying to change the country caused trouble in Vic.

Ecclesiastical history

Main article: Roman Catholic Diocese of Vic

The area has an important church history. The leaders of this church area report to a larger church group led by the leader in Tarragona.

Education

Vic has its own university called the Universitat de Vic, which is a place where people can go to learn and study.

Demography

Vic has nearly 28,000 people who can vote in elections.

Miscellaneous

The city of Vic is known for its interesting history. The remains of Jaume Balmes, a famous Spanish philosopher from the 1800s, rest in the cloister of the cathedral there. In honor of his life, two special lampposts were made by the famous architect Antoni Gaudí and placed in the main square of Vic. Sadly, these lampposts were later destroyed.

Vic has been home to many notable people, including Saint Michael de Sanctis, Joseph Sadoc Alemany, who later became the Archbishop of San Francisco, and Caterina Coromina i Agustí, a religious woman recognized for her goodness in 2006. In December 2005, some people living in Vic won a large prize in the Spanish Christmas Lottery.

Sport

Vic has a football club called UE Vic. The club was started in 1922 and plays in the Lliga Elit.

Sources and references

This article uses information from several sources. One book about Catalonia was written by Josep Maria Panareda Clopés, Jaume Rius Calvet, and Josep Maria Rabella Vives in 1989.

The article also includes text from an old publication called the Catholic Encyclopedia edited by Charles Herbermann in 1913.

There are also links to a paper by Paul Freedman about the Diocese of Vic and to general information about the Diocese of Vic from the Catholic-Hierarchy website.