Palamós

The first evidence of human settlement in the Palamós area is the {{ill|Dolmen de Montagut|ca}}, on the top of Montagut hill between Palamós and Vall-llobrega. Dating from the 3rd or 2nd millennium BC, this has 3 slabs in their original state and the remains of a tomb that these once covered.{{cite web |url=https://www.vall-llobrega.cat/el-poble/llocs-d-interes/item/vestigis-prehistorics |title=Vestigis prehistòrics |language=ca |trans-title=Prehistoric remains |publisher=Ajuntament de Vall-llobrega |access-date=21 November 2022 |archive-date=21 November 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121114417/https://www.vall-llobrega.cat/el-poble/llocs-d-interes/item/vestigis-prehistorics}}{{cite book |title=Les Gavarres: 50 indrets amb encant |language=ca |trans-title=Les Gavarres: 50 charming places |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1018111991 |publisher=Farell |date=2017 |edition=1st |location=Sant Vicenç de Castellet, Barcelona |isbn=978-84-92811-89-2 |first=Daniel |last=Sabater i Selrà|oclc=1018111991 }}

Evidence exists of an early settlement lies around {{convert|1.7|km|mi}} north-east of the town, on a rocky promontory at the north end of Platja de Castell beach. The Castell de la Fosca is a stone settlement of the Iberian Indigetes people which seems to have been inhabited from the 6th century BC to the 1st century AD.{{cite web |url=http://www.palamos.cat/palamos/municipi/historia.aspx |title=Història |language=ca |trans-title=History |publisher=Ajuntament de Palamós |access-date=21 November 2022 |archive-date=21 November 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121141430/http://www.palamos.cat/palamos/municipi/historia.aspx}}

Further south than the Castell de la Fosca, but still north of the current town and port, is the Castell de Sant Esteve de Mar. Archaeological evidence suggests that this site was occupied from the Roman period, and that the site was fortified in the twelfth century AD. By the thirteenth century, Peter II of Barcelona (also known as Peter III of Aragon) was looking to found a new port on the coast as the previous royal port in the region at Torroella de Montgrí on the River Ter had silted up. In 1277, he bought the castle and its estate, which included the site of the current port, with that in mind. As a consequence of the purchase, Palamos was founded and recognised as a village on 3 December 1279.{{cite web |url=http://invarquit.cultura.gencat.cat/Cerca/Fitxa?index=0&consulta=&codi=1292 |title=Castell de Sant Esteve de Mar |language=ca |publisher=Generalitat de Catalunya |access-date=14 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129135253/http://invarquit.cultura.gencat.cat/Cerca/Fitxa?index=0&consulta=&codi=1292 |archive-date=29 November 2022 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://visitmuseum.gencat.cat/en/castell-de-sant-esteve-de-mar |title=Sant Esteve de Mar castle |publisher=Generalitat de Catalunya |access-date=14 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221114154527/https://visitmuseum.gencat.cat/en/castell-de-sant-esteve-de-mar |archive-date=14 November 2022 |url-status=live}}

The site of the current port was used during the Roman period and before, but it was then disused until it was rebuilt after Peter's purchase of 1277. In 1285, the Battle of Les Formigues was fought near the Formigues Islands, just offshore from Palamós, resulting in a victory for the Catalan fleet over the French.{{cite book |first=Silvia |last=Orvietani Busch |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=BAtfHIxcHZ4C&dq=1279+palam%C3%B3s&pg=PA35 |title=Medieval mediterranean ports: the Catalan and Tuscan coasts, 1100 to 1235|year=2001 |page=35|publisher=BRILL |isbn=9004120696 }}[http://ca.wikisource.org/wiki/Cr%C3%B2nica_de_Ramon_Muntaner/Cap%C3%ADtol_CXXXV Crònica de Ramon Muntaner/Capítol CXXXV], in the Catalan Wikisource (Vikitexts)

Palamós was the birthplace of Frederic Pujulà i Vallès (1877–1962), a journalist and dramatist who was a pioneer of Esperanto literature.{{cite web |url=https://www.enciclopedia.cat/gran-enciclopedia-catalana/frederic-pujula-i-valles |work=Gran enciclopèdia catalana |title=Frederic Pujulà i Vallès |language=ca |access-date=21 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121131141/https://www.enciclopedia.cat/gran-enciclopedia-catalana/frederic-pujula-i-valles |archive-date=21 November 2022 |url-status=live}}

Palamós was served by the {{RailGauge|750mm}} gauge Palamós–Girona–Banyoles railway, which reached a junction with the Barcelona–Cerbère railway at Flaçà by 1887 and was extended to Girona by 1921. Service on the line continued until 1956.{{cite web |url=https://callcarlos.eu/2022/05/03/railways-girona-costa-brava/ |title=Railways in Catalunya |publisher=callCarlos |access-date=21 November 2022 |archive-date=21 November 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121151321/https://callcarlos.eu/2022/05/03/railways-girona-costa-brava/}}{{cite web |title=Petit Train Greenway |work=viasverdes.com |url=https://www.viasverdes.com/en/itineraries/itinerario.asp?id=162 |access-date=23 November 2022 |archive-date=23 November 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123114109/https://www.viasverdes.com/en/itineraries/itinerario.asp?id=162}}

The town is a major port (with the closure of Sant Feliu de Guíxols the only commercial harbour in the Province of Girona) with one of the last remaining fishing fleets on this part of the Mediterranean coast. It is famous for the locally caught prawns from Palamós ({{langx|ca|gambes}}).{{cite web |url=http://www.catalanlife.com/index.cfm?uuid=DE467D9E49 |title=Palamos Gambas : Catalunya Lifestyle Magazine |website=www.catalanlife.com |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040911115925/http://www.catalanlife.com/index.cfm?uuid=DE467D9E49 |archive-date=11 September 2004 |url-status=dead}}

The town's major economic activities until the second half of the 20th century were fishing and cork manufacturing. In the sixties, however, the town saw a rapid growth of tourism. The architecture of Palamos itself remained relatively unchanged with most development focused to the south at Sant Antoni de Calonge which now merges with Palamos. The bay between the two is popular for sailing, swimming and windsurfing. The town's nightlife is focused on the old port which is surrounded by bars and restaurants.

The town is home to Palamós CF the local football club. The oldest club in Catalonia. They share their ground, the Estadi Palamós Costa Brava with the small, but over-achieving club UE Llagostera, as the club's stadium, Estadi Municipal de Llagostera, didn't meet the LFP criteria.

Image:Palamós 2.jpg|Palamós

Image:Palamos Waldbrand bei Platja d’Aro.jpg|The port; in the background a forest fire near Platja d’Aro

Image:Palamós Esglèsia Santa Maria del Mar.jpg|The church Santa Maria del Mar

Image:Palamós - Cala S'Alguer i Platja de Castell - Panorama.jpg|Cala S'Alguer, Palamós

{{reflist}}

• 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).

{{Commons category|Palamós}}

• [http://www.palamos.cat Official website]
• [http://aplicacions.municat.gencat.cat/index.php?page=consulta&mostraEns=1711810007 Government data pages] {{in lang|ca}}

{{Geographic location

|Centre = Palamós

|N = Vall-llobrega

|NE = Mont-ras

|E =

|SE =

|S = Balearic Sea

|SW =

|W = Calonge

|NW = Forallac

}}

{{Baix Emporda}}

{{Municipalities in Girona|state=autocollapse}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palamos}}

Category:Municipalities in Baix Empordà

Category:1279 establishments in Europe

Category:Populated places in Baix Empordà

Category:Seaside resorts in Spain

Category:13th-century establishments in Aragon