El Pati

El Pati is the everyday name locals in Tàrrega use for Plaça del Carme, a square sitting right at the seam between the town's old core and the early-20th-century expansion district, in the Urgell county of Lleida province, Catalonia.

Where is El Pati located?

The square sits in the middle of Tàrrega, next to the site of the former Carmelite convent. Its outline is not a tidy rectangle: it has irregular indentations and chamfered corners, a shape that sets it apart from the more formal squares typical of Spanish town planning. The layout visitors see today largely dates from urbanisation works carried out between 1911 and 1929, although the open space itself had already served as a promenade well before that.

Why is it called "Pati"?

"Pati" is the Catalan word for courtyard or yard, and that everyday usage is exactly where the nickname comes from. During the 18th century the open ground functioned as the parade yard of a military barracks that once stood next to it — a building later converted into housing. The name, though, goes back further still: 14th-century documents already refer to land next to the Carmelite convent as "Pati del Carme." The square's formal name, Plaça del Carme, keeps that same link to the neighbouring church and convent.

What is there to see on the square?

A fountain marks the centre of the square, and daily life in Tàrrega tends to circle around it. At the two opposite ends stand a pair of monuments. One is dedicated to the Catalan Countries (Països Catalans) and is the work of the sculptor Alfaro. The other honours Ramon Carnicer, a composer born in Tàrrega in 1789 who died in 1855 and who wrote the music for "Els Segadors," Catalonia's national anthem. That local connection gives the square a symbolic weight beyond its everyday role as a public meeting point.

El Pati borders directly on the church of the former Carmelite convent and on the Ateneu building, a long-standing local cultural institution that has hosted the town's social and artistic life for generations. Shops, bank branches, service businesses and residential buildings ring the square, making it one of the busiest commercial hubs in Tàrrega.

Was there anything else notable at the square?

At number 8, Plaça del Carme, a family-run pastry shop called Pastisseria El Pati operated for close to five decades. Founded in 1976 by Josep Mª Tarragó i Rius, it was known for handmade confectionery, cakes and turrón, made in the traditional way. The shop closed at the end of June 2024, when its owners, Jordi Tarragó and Roser Garcia, retired after 48 years running the family business. Even though the pastry shop is gone, its long presence on the square is part of why locals still tie the name "El Pati" so closely to this spot.

Frequently asked questions

Is El Pati the official name of the square? No. The official name is Plaça del Carme; "El Pati" is the informal name residents use.

Why is the square called "Pati"? Because in the 18th century it served as the courtyard (Catalan: pati) of a nearby military barracks, and even earlier, from the 14th century onward, the land was already linked to the adjoining Carmelite convent.

What are the main landmarks on the square? A central fountain and two monuments at opposite ends — one dedicated to the Catalan Countries, the other to the composer Ramon Carnicer.

Are there shops and services nearby? Yes. The square is surrounded by shops, banks and residential buildings, making it one of the main commercial areas in central Tàrrega.