Cova d'en Baleta

Known since time immemorial, although it had never been documented in the speleological bibliography until J. Cuenca and F.X. Samarra (GEB) visited it on 9 March 2014.

The rock shelter is dedicated to Francesc Ferreter i Montguillot (a) Baleta, a shepherd from l'Alforja (1860-1932), famous in the region for his weather predictions. They say he turned down a job offer from the Observatori de l'Ebre. He also predicted the snowfall of 1932 and his own death, events that occurred at the same time.

In the early 1960s, Josep Fusté, Antonio Àvila “Flautes”, Josep Sànchez Moragues, Antoni Pujals, Josep Llopis, Miquel Serra, Josep Hortoneda, Hilari Aragonès and Miquel Salvador Jassans placed a first bust in the cave. A work by Josep Salvador Jassans, in homage, to the memory of the famous shepherd.

In 2012, thanks once again to the Jassans Borràs family and also to Josep Maria Àvila, they restored the base and placed a copy of the sculpture, to preserve the original from the passage of time.

The original bust of “Baleta”, a work by the sculptor Josep Salvador Jassans, is currently kept at the Ateneu Cultural Josep Taverna, by the wish of his family.