Lleida

Lleida, known as Ilerda in antiquity, is one of the oldest cities in Catalonia with settlements dating to the Bronze Age. Originally the capital of the Iberian Ilergetes tribe under the name Iltirta, it was the most important pre-Roman town north of the Ebro, minting silver coins inscribed in Iberian script. In 49 BC, Caesar defeated Pompey's forces here during the Civil War. Under Augustus it became a municipium. Excavations since 1961 have revealed a 2.5-metre-wide defensive wall from c. 100 BC, a forum, and public baths covering 2,400 square metres.