Lleida (Catalan: [ˈʎejðə] ⓘ, locally [ˈʎejðɛ]; Spanish: Lérida [ˈleɾiða] ⓘ; see below) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain.

Lleida is one of the oldest towns in Catalonia, with recorded settlements dating back to the Bronze Age period.

[4] Its situation[5] induced the legates of Pompey in Spain to make it the key of their defense against Caesar, in the first year of the Civil War (49 BC).

Afranius and Marcus Petreius threw themselves into the place with five legions; and their siege by Caesar himself (Battle of Ilerda), as narrated in his own words, forms one of the most interesting passages of military history.

Caesar's skill as a general, in a contest where the formation of the district and a series of natural events seemed very favorable to his enemies, ultimately gained him victory.

[6] In consequence of the battle, the Latin phrase Ilerdam videas is said to have been used by people who wanted to cast bad luck on someone else.

[7] It was part of Visigothic and Muslim Hispania until it was conquered from the Moors by Count Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona in 1149.

It used to be the seat of a major university, the oldest in the Crown of Aragon, until 1717, when it was moved by Philip V to the nearby town of Cervera.

Lleida served as a key defence point for Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War and fell to the Insurgents, whose air forces bombed it extensively in 1937 and 1938.

"[11] A street named "Judería", which still exists in today's Lleida dates back to the time where the Jewish quarter was still active.

[12] A Jewish ritual bath, or mikveh dating to the 9th century, one of the oldest in Europe, was found in Lleida.

A second railway station is Pla de la Vilanoveta in an industrial area, and only used by freight trains.

The urban buses, coloured yellow with blue stripes and owned by Autobusos de Lleida, include the following lines: In addition to these, there's a tourist bus and a regular night service to nearby clubs.

Using an existing but outdated passenger line, it would link Balaguer and Lleida, crossing both towns in a much needed move towards better public transportation, both inner-city and between localities.

[18][19][20] Lleida is a traditionally Catalan-speaking city, with a characteristic dialect (known as Western or, more specifically, Northwestern Catalan, or colloquially lleidatà).

Enric Granados Auditorium is the city's concert hall and main music institution and conservatory.

The Institut d'Estudis Ilerdencs, a historically relevant building, exhibits both ancient and contemporary art.

The main traditional celebrations in Lleida are chaired by the twelve emblematic "Gegants de la Paeria" (Giants of the Town Hall), the two oldest made in 1840.

Most big clubs in Lleida are located outside the town and are not easily accessible without a car,[citation needed] though on Saturday nights there is a bus.