Sitges

El topónimo de la localidad es «Sitges», pronunciado en catalán [ˈsidʒəs], plural de sitja, que en castellano significa silo.

Human presence in Sitges dates back to at least 50,000 years, proved by researchers from Barcelona university in "the journal of human evolution" when neanderthal bones and stone tools were discovered in ‘La Cova del Gegant’, a cave near today's golf course, were carbon-dated.

During the Middle Ages, a castle was built in Sitges, owned by the bishopric of Barcelona, which later ceded it to count Mir Geribert (1041). In the 12th century, the town fell under the rule of the Sitges family. The latter held it until 1308, when Agnes of Sitges sold the town to Bernat de Fonollar, after whose death it went to the Pia Almoina, a charitable institution, to which it belonged until 1814.

Between the late-18th century and the early-20th, the history of Sitges was dominated by its close links with Spain's overseas territories, most importantly Cuba. Thousands of youngsters from Sitges settled in Santiago de Cuba, Guantánamo and other areas in Eastern Cuba. Most of them were employed in commerce, usually working for relatives already established in the island. Some of them thrived and created big firms, like Facundo Bacardí, founder of Ron Bacardí, and Jaime Brugal, who later moved to the Dominican Republic and established Ron Brugal. Some others, after having amassed a certain fortune, settled back in Sitges, generally living on rent or investing in sectores like wine or shoe making. These were known as "Americanos", known for their habit of planting palm trees in their Caribbean-looking houses, smoking Cuban cigars and rum drinking. The americanos left a huge legacy in Sitges which can still be seen in its architecture and the history of most local families.

This legacy is also visible because it has created the name of every beach bar in Spain "Chiringuito". The first beach bar in Spain opened in Sitges in 1913, called El Kiosket and renamed in 1949 "chiringuito" by the Spanish journalist César González Ruano, inspired by his experiences travelling Cuba where coffee was strained through a stocking called "chiringo".

After Spain lost its overseas territories as a result of the Spanish-American War in 1898, the migration flow from Sitges to Cuba continued, but most of the trade ended. As most of Catalan economy, Sitges found its biggest market in the rest of Spain. Shoe making shaped Sitges' economy during the first third of the 20th century. Sitges economy was mostly based on the production of wine until the late 19th century, when the first mechanized shoe factory in Spanish history was established in the town in 1874, starting a powerful shoe making sector which employed ca. 80% of local workers by the mid-20th century. The tourist boom of the 1960s ended the era of shoe making and made local economy essentially depending on tourism and services.

Due to the wave of artists settling in the town in the wake of Santiago Rusiñol, who established his studio (nowadays Museu del Cau Ferrat) wealthy families from Barcelona built summer residences in Sitges, especially in the garden city known as Terramar. Sitges acquired an international reputation and attracted celebrities. American businessman, art collector, and philanthropist Charles Deering held an important art collection in Sitges between 1910 and 1921, where he built the impressive Palau Maricel (Maricel Palace). Intellectuals like G. K. Chesterton, who visited the town in 1926 and 1935, or the German boxer Max Schmelling, who trained for his match against Paulino Uzcudun in Terramar Hotel in 1934.

For most of the Civil War (1936–1939), Sitges was controlled by Republican forces. The town was captured following the Fall of Barcelona.

The British war journalist Henry Buckley (author of The Life and Death of the Spanish Republic, 1940) lived for a few months in Sitges during the conflict, marrying a local woman. He would eventually retire in the mid-1960s in the town, where he purchased a house and died in 197..

In 1958, political leaders (Liberals and Conservatives) from the country of Colombia met in Sitges and signed a peace treaty, the "Declaration of Sitges", instituting a consociationalist democracy in Colombia and creating the National Front.

•El Greco

•barraca de pedra seca 19613

•Creu de Ribes

•Ramon Benaprès

•Sirena

•Canó

•Pont d'en Domènech

•Creu de Sant Isidre

•Les Basses o Mas de Sant Daniel

•Corral de les Basses

•Barraca de Pedra Seca i Cocona 140

•cabana de Pedra Seca 139

•Museu Maricel de Mar

•Punta de les Coves

•Balcó de Sitges

•Pedroell

•Museu Romàntic

•Punta Grossa

•Fundació Stämpfli

•Casa Bacardí Sitges

•Minigolf Vinyet

Sitges es la sede permanente del Festival Internacional de Cine Fantástico de Cataluña, uno de los eventos cinematográficos más importantes de Europa. Este festival es uno de los pioneros del cine fantástico, ciencia ficción y terror, organizado por primera vez en 1968 por Pedro Serramalera como "Semana Internacional de Cine Fantástico" y cambiando a la denominación actual en 1997 al abrirse a otros géneros.

El Corpus Christi es una de las festividades más importantes de la ciudad de Sitges. Durante los días que dura esta celebración, destaca la Alfombra del Cap de la Vila, una alfombra hecha de claveles que adorna uno de los sitios más emblemáticos de Sitges.​

El Orgullo LGTB de Sitges es un evento celebrado en el mes de junio (con fechas variables) desde 2009 que incluye multitud de espectáculos, conciertos, "Pool Party", desfile de carrozas y drag queens y cierre con fuegos artificiales.​

La celebración del Carnaval de Sitges se ha convertido en unos de los principales eventos de la villa. Su Arribo de Sa Majestat Carnestoltes, la presentación de la Reina del Carnaval, la Rúa de la Disbauxa (domingo), la Rúa de l'Extermini (martes) y la despedida de Sa Majestat Carnestoltes (Miércoles de Ceniza) son los días señalados del Carnaval, aunque todos los días se realizan multitud de actividades por las calles, residencias y escuelas de Sitges.

Anualmente, durante un fin de semana de marzo se celebra el Rally Internacional de Coches de Época Barcelona-Sitges. Se realiza desde 1959 y se ha mantenido el mismo recorrido, que va desde la plaza de San Jaime de Barcelona hasta Sitges siguiendo la carretera C-31.

Monumentos y lugares de interés:

Entre los lugares de interés se encuentran:

Museos:

•Camí de Vilanova a Sitges

•Sender dels Miradors (GR 5, 201 km)

•Variant: Pla de Querol - Camí del Mas de l'Artís (GR 92.4, 24.7 km)

•Garraf (PR-C 143)

•Camí Ramader de Marina (CRdM, 230 km)

•Catalunya E22 (GR 92, 23 km)

•El Camí IT6TR6 El Camí Central: de Castelló de la Plana a Montserrat (CC-C)

•Antonio Mingote, dibujante, escritor y periodista español

•Carmen Cervera, Filántropa y coleccionista de arte

•Facundo Bacardí, Empresario español

•Jon Bakero, futbolista español (1996)

•Joaquim Sunyer, artista español

•Remei Margarit, psicóloga, escritora y profesora de música catalana

En las elecciones municipales de 2019, ERC ganó las elecciones por primera vez. Dado que no obtuvieron una mayoría necesaria para formar un gobierno en solitario, llegaron a un acuerdo de gobierno con Sitges Grup Independent y Guanyem Sitges donde formaban un gobierno de coalición.

26 paradas de autobús en el municipio:

•C. d'en Pepe de Garraf - C. dels Taronjers

•Camí de Coll

•Av. Navarra - Av. J. Carner

•Sant Crispí

•Av. del Vinyet - Av. Sofia

•Sitges - Pl. Eduard Maristany | Estació de Rodalies

•Cementiri

•Hotel Melià Gran Sitges

•Farmacia Autofarmacia — Passeig de Vilanova 72

•Farmacia Farmàcia Torrents Lorca, M. del Carmen — Carrer de Sant Muç 10

•Farmacia Farmacia Central — Plaça del Cap de la Vila 9

•Centre d'Atenció Primària — Avinguda del Camí dels Capellans 26

•Farmacia Farmàcia Lluís Benazet - R. i X. Benazet Homedes — avinguda del Camí dels Capellans 23

•Farmacia Farmàcia Gerard Planas Nogué — Avinguda d'Artur Carbonell 30

•Farmacia Farmàcia Arizcun

•Farmacia Farmàcia Gonzalvo

•Farmacia Farmàcia Miret

•Farmacia Farmàcia Busquets Casso, Anna — Carrer de Lluís Companys 72