Llívia

Llívia

Llívia, town and enclave of Spanish territory in the French département (department) of Pyrénées-Orientales, administratively part of the provincia (province) of Girona, Spain. The area was named Julia Libyca by the Romans, and the name evolved into Julia Livia and, finally, Llívia. It lay within the ancient district of Cerdagne, or Cerdaña (the upper basin of the Segre River), of which it was capital until 1177. In 1659, by the Treaty of the Pyrenees, 33 Cerdagne villages were ceded to France, and the political enclave was created with a neutral road across French territory to Puigcerdá, a Spanish fortified town. Notorious during the 17th and 18th centuries as a smuggling centre, Llívia now trades in agricultural products. Building manufactures and tourism have grown in importance. Pop. (2007 est.) mun., 1,388.