History

An exceptional geographical situation

Surely Sant Just seems like a young town, with modern buildings and current services… but did you know that our municipality has more than 2,000 years of history ?

Over time, Sant Just has been the location chosen by different cultures and generations. The reason is clear: we have an exceptional geographical situation , a very good climate, with resources of all kinds and good connectivity with other territories . All this explains why we even have news of the location of remains from the Neolithic period , such as the tomb of the Fossa de la Riba .

Iberian and Roman era

If there is a particularly active moment, in which Sant Just -long before receiving this name- begins to have importance, it is during the Iberian and Roman periods .

The village of Penya del Moro was built and dominated the territory from the 6th to the 4th century BC . Currently, it is a landmark of our landscape and a cultural asset to be preserved . If we go back in time, in the 3rd century BC we will find evidence of occupation on the plain of the terme -where much of the settlement is currently located-, with remains from the Iberian and Roman periods such as silos, mosaics, lacus, ovens… which suggest an intense commercial and productive activity around the Sant Just stream (shared with Sant Feliu). This idea is reinforced by the documentation of the proximity of the Via Augusta , one of the main communication axes in Roman times.

The medieval era

The medieval period brings us the first written mention of Sant Just , in the year 965 , as Villa Birce . The toponym will evolve until the current name, which incorporates the name of a patron saint of the parish: Sancti Iusti de Vercio .

In 1524 ( 500 years ago), the part of the parish of the church of Sant Llorenç in Sant Feliu de Llobregat was separated from that of Sant Just. In the same way, the somewhat dispersed settlement evolved until creating, in the 17th century , a first nucleus of houses around the Camí Ral , which would correspond to the current streets of Creu and Raval and around the church of Sant Just and Sant Pastor .

Urban evolution and social transformation

With the passage of the royal road of Charles III , drawn in the 18th century , another nucleus of housing began to grow in the area still known today as the road . Little by little, the municipality, eminently agricultural until 1917 , expanded, shaping an increasingly diverse society in which activities such as agriculture, services and industry stood out.

Sant Just in the 19th and early 20th centuries

In the 19th century and until the years thirties of the 20th century , less than 10 owners will control 70% of farmland, forest and urbanizable land . The arrival of electricity (1913) , bus service (1917) , and the construction of the Sanson cement factory will bring new neighbors and powerful urban changes .

All of this will make possible the creation of societies such as the Ateneu (1918) , the new National Schools (1923) , the Ateneu Schools (1924) and the Núria Schools (1933) , which will mark a stage of social progress cut off by the Civil War (1936-39) .

Modern transformation of the municipality

In the second half of the 20th century , change would be unstoppable , with the arrival of new companies and also of people migrating from different parts of the state -first- and from outside Spain -later. Sant Just would leave behind its more agricultural past and take on a more residential and service-oriented profile .

The result of this transformation is a diverse municipality, capable of taking care of its heritage, environment and traditions and, likewise, prepared for the challenges of the future .

Learn more about Sant Just

If you want to have more information about the past of Sant Just, don’t miss the activity of entities such as the Santjustencs Studies Center or the Municipal Archive .