The micro-region of Els Comalats¹ begins south of the Segarra plateau, where it presents a gently undulating landscape that is easily cultivated, gradually transforming on the more south-facing slopes into more rugged terrain. It covers an area corresponding to the southeast of Urgell, the southwest of Segarra, and the northwest of Conca de Barberà.

It includes the valleys of the Corb and Cercavins rivers, with elevations ranging between 350 and 869 meters. From its edges — from places such as Granyena or Forès — unfolds a mosaic of high plains, dry-stone terraces and field margins, valleys and streams: a landscape shaped and sculpted by both nature and human hands.

The diversity of environments supports a rich variety of fauna and flora, including species of Eurosiberian origin as well as those typical of dry farmland. The protected natural areas of the Obagues del Riu Corb and Granyena bear witness to and preserve a significant part of this singular landscape, with their oak and holm oak forests and the edges of paths filled with irises and moss. And if we trust butterflies as bioindicators: in Els Comalats, nearly 100 different species of daytime butterflies can be found.²

In recent decades, depopulation has had a noticeable impact on the fauna and flora of Els Comalats. Many cultivated areas — vineyards, orchards, and other crops — have been abandoned where mechanised farming was not possible, gradually turning into land covered with forests, shrubs, and aromatic plants. Entire valleys have thus become a paradise for wild boar, foxes, roe deer, and other animals that historically had little or no presence.

1. The place name Comalats is formed by coma and lat. The first refers to a hollow or depression set between two curved hills. The second means broad, wide, or extensive. There is also an older, Iberian origin, in which lat is related to latz, meaning rough — an interpretation that does not correspond to how the inhabitants of Els Comalats perceive their land. ↩︎
2. Hinojosa, Joan Carles (2017). The surprising diversity of butterflies in Els Comalats (southern Segarra plateau) (Lepidoptera). Butlletí de la Societat Catalana de Lepidopterologia, 107, 145–150. ↩︎