1. INTRODUCTION We are three girls of Vedruna school and our names are : Mª Jesús, Marta and Sonia. We are doing a project in English, about how our city has changed, specially with Vallparadis park. We have chosen this topic because we go out in summer, to its swimming-pool, which is one of the many activities you can do. It is one of the biggest parks of Catalonia.

2. THE EVOLUTION OF VALLPARADIS One million years ago, some torrential rains brought about a great mud flow because of the erosion of the rocks from St.Llorenç del Munt ( a natural park in the north of the city). This catastrophics events formed Vallparadis river flow. Archeologists found remains of two hippopotamus. Also, remains of giant deer, wild boar, bison, there bears, horses and hyenas and a lot of fossile trunks. Nowaday, Vallparadis park and North Park form the central park of Terrassa. It crosses all the city, from north, to south, with a surface the 258.000 m2 and a length of the 2.5 km. It is one of the biggest parks in our country. The future expansion goes to the south, and will be about 4 km, with a surface of 400.000 m2 aproximatelly. Terrassa’s council, wants to apply a new management model in the park so that it can become reference for other parks in the world. Vallparadis river course was used as an area for growing and preventing the city from expanding. A bridge built in 1896 allowed the acces to the in habitants of the right part. On the right part there was the castle and on the left “the vapor Guardiola” ( a big textile factory) and St.Peter’s churches.

3. In may 1999, Terrassa recovered a big part of Vallparadis river course, a big green zone with a lot of leisure, suitable for social, and playful activities so that people could meet. The park is a wonderful site in the heart of the city. Vallparadis is an open park, where people can take part in different activities and enjoy themselves. It’s permanent offer of concerts and shows, cultural and educative routes, sportive activities, three museums, train routes, radiocontrol, important building, sculptures, and a big swimming-pool for 100.000 people each summer, makes it to be visited by a milion people a year. Vallparadis is a place where people can share cultural activities. They do important events as NGOS fairs, live folk music and Jazz in the frame of the International Jazz Festival, that attract more than a hundred thousand people.

4. The building of the Park lasted from 1989 to 1999. In February 1995, the first part, the area around the castle, which is the central part of the park was inaugurated. In 1996, Terrassa received a help of 1.185 millions of pessetas, from the European Union to help the construction of the park. In 1999, the final part was open to the public, which received a great succes, more than 20.000 people. The same year, the lake-swimming- pool, one of the jewels of the park was also inaugurated. During the summer it is filled completely with people, and in winter it’s possible to row on a boat.

5. THE DISCOVERY OF VALLPARADIS With the future construction of the new train station in the park, archeologists have found a new deposit, that could be more than 800.000 years old. The most important thing is stone tools which would show the presence of humans in the region around Barcelona. Its a very important discovery because this stone tools are the remains of human presence. These discoveries are compared at a European level, with the Atapuerca discoveries. Atapuerca is in Burgos (Spain) and it was the first deposit of human remains found in the Iberian peninsula. For Catalonia, the discovery of Vallparadis, is considered a great succes that the remains are in Terrassa.

6. THE CASTLE OF VALLPARADIS The castle of Vallparadis is a fortification that is in the left part of the river course of Vallparadis. The building was started for Berenguer Sanlà, and later belonged to Blanca de Centelles. There was a square walled with towers in each corner. In the central part you see the homage tower which was 5 x 4 m. In 1344, the castle became a “Cartoixan monastery” and it was rebuilt to swit. With the years, the castle suffered great degradation and a big part was destroyed. The castle was bought in 1947 by the city council and it was rebuilt and became a museum.

7. THE FUTURE The city council wants to create guided activities for students and turn it into a centre for cultural activities with the help of botanical cultural and historical routes. They also hope the park, will be more sustainable, controlling the consumption of electricity and water. They ainto take care of the vegetation and get more spaces without sun in summer. They are also projecting its growth up to the north of the city. The park is getting bigger and it can be compared with 33 football stadiums.

8. VALLPARADIS HAS AN INTERPRETATION CENTRE There are 70 archeologists working there. The departament of Culture of the Catalan Government would like to recreate how was life in Vallparadis river course, a milion of years ago. At the moment there isn’t any calendary and the building hasn’t been built yet. The excavation will last for 18 months.