L’Hospitalet de Llobregat:

L’Hospitalet de Llobregat , often shortened to L’Hospitalet or just L’H, is a municipality of Spain, located to the immediate southwest of Barcelona, in the autonomous community of Catalonia.

It is part of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area.

By population, it is the second largest in Catalonia and the sixteenth in Spain. It is one of the most densely populated cities in the European Union.

Name:

The name of L'Hospitalet (literally, 'the small hospital' in Catalan) makes reference to a hostel. The name of the river Llobregat is added as an accompaniment.

History:

The first records of the settlement date to the Neolithic era with artefacts showing human habitation in the Llobregat river area.

Roman artefacts have been found dating to the 2nd century BC such as a funeral decoration representing the head of Medusa, now in the Archaeological Museum of Catalonia.

However it is not until the 10th century that written references to Provençana (the city's original name) appear.

The place had about 5,000 inhabitants by the turn of the 20th century.

Throughout the early 20th century, it consisted of three different urban settlements, Centre, Sta. Eulàlia and Collblanc.

Local agricultural output and profitability experienced a peak in this period.

A chunk of the municipality (900 ha) was lost to the municipality of Barcelona in 1920.

L'Hospitalet then became a primarily industrial municipality, focused on textile, metalworking, ceramic and building materials industries.

The 1960s and 1970s saw a second population boom, caused by immigration from poorer regions of Spain: however this was not matched by construction of the necessary amenities and it was only in the 1990s that public investment resulted in additional schools, leisure facilities and housing.

Demographics:

As of 2020, the registered population stands at 274,320, of which 126,237 were born in Catalonia, 54,098 were born in other Spanish regions, 93,984 were born abroad and 1 person was born in former Spanish territories.

As of 2020, the foreign population amounts for 67,213 people.

Geography:

L'Hospitalet's surface is 12.49 km2 (4.82 sq mi). The area on which the city is constructed may be divided in two different geological areas.

One of them follows the coast typology and is called La Marina, similarly to two coast areas of neighbouring Barcelona's Zona Franca: La Marina del Prat Vermell and La Marina de Port.

The latter half of L'Hospitalet is called El Samontà, which consists of hills and a more elevated area.

Economy:

The city's reputation is largely still that of a depressed suburb,[11] drawing on its proletarian origins and its reliance on Barcelona.

But its economy has improved recently, as can be seen from the city's new skyline and relocation of companies to the city's new financial centre. Urban regeneration and construction took place during the 2000s, as well as ongoing work on improving public transportation in the second municipality of the Barcelona metropolitan area.

The former airline Spanair's headquarters were in L'Hospitalet.

Former mayor Celestino Corbacho campaigned to improve the city's infrastructure from his position in the Ministry of Work.

Skyscrapers:

  • Hotel Porta Fira (2010) –113 metres (371 ft)– Completed
  • Torre Realia BCN (2009) – 112 metres (367 ft) – Completed
  • Hotel Catalonia Plaza Europa (2011) – 105 metres (344 ft) – Completed
  • Hesperia Tower (2006) – 106 metres (348 ft) – Completed
  • Tower Caixa Catalunya (?) – 106 metres (348 ft) – Planned
  • Torre Inbisa (2010) – 104 metres (341 ft) – Completed
  • Torre Zenit (2009) – 104 metres (341 ft) – Completed
  • Hospital de Bellvitge (1972) – 82 metres (269 ft) – Completed
  • Tower Colonial (?) – 75 metres (246 ft) – Under Construction (on hold)
  • Tower Fadesa I (2009) – 65 metres (213 ft) – Completed
  • Tower Fadesa II (2009) – 65 metres (213 ft) – Completed
  • Tower Fadesa III (2009) – 65 metres (213 ft) – Completed
  • City Judicial Building A (2008) – 62 metres (203 ft) – Completed
  • City Judicial Building C (2008) – 58 metres (190 ft) – Completed
  • Torre Melina (Hotel Rey Juan Carlos) (1992) – 60 metres (200 ft) – Completed