Vich

Vich, a city of north-eastern Spain, in the province of Barcelona, on the river Gurri, a small right-hand tributary of the Ter, and on the Granollers-Ripoll railway. Pop. (1900) 11,628. Vich is an ancient episcopal city, with narrow, illpaved streets and many curious old houses irregularly built on the slope of a hill, which rises above one of the side valleys of the Ter basin. The cathedral, founded about 1040 and built chiefly in the, 14th century, was to some extent modernized in 1803. Its Gothic cloisters (1340) are remarkable for the beautiful tracery in their windows, and there is a fine altar of sculptured marble. Some valuable manuscripts are preserved in the library of the chapter-house, and the museum contains an interesting archaeological collection, besides statuary, pictures, &c. The city is locally celebrated for the manufacture of sausages; other industries include tanning and the weaving of linen and woollen fabrics.

Vich, the Ausa of the ancient geographers, was the chief town of the Ausetani; in the middle ages it was called Ausona and Vicus Ausonensis, hence Vic de Osona, and simply Vich.