Rubí, Barcelona

Rubí is a municipality in Catalonia (Spain), in the comarca of Vallès Occidental and the province of Barcelona, 15 kilometers from Barcelona. It is bordered on the north by Terrassa and Ullastrell, on the south by Sant Cugat del Vallès, on the west by Castellbisbal and on the east by Sant Quirze del Vallès.HistoryThe city is believed to be of Roman origin, in view of the number of amphoras and writings that have been found, although the city was reportedly founded 986 with the name of Rivo Rubeo. At the death of Wilfred the Hairy, the border between Al-Andalus and Catalan counties was delimited by the river Llobregat, with Catalans to the north and Muslims to the south; Rubí was therefore very close to the border.In 1233, Berenguer de Rubí asked the king Jaume I to build a new castle, which is now the Ecomuseu Castell de Rubí, a museum about the town.With the Industrial Revolution, the town's population grew dramatically, with the decline of agriculture and the growth of textile industries near the Riera de Rubí. Some of the early mills still exist.