Vilanova i la Geltrú is a city in the province of
Barcelona,
Catalonia, Spain and the capital of the
Garraf comarca. Historically a fishing port, the city has a growing population of approximately 66,000, and is situated 40 km south-west of
Barcelona, with the more famous coastal resort of
Sitges some 10 km to the north-east. During the dictatorship of
Francisco Franco (1939–75), the city's name was castilianized as
Villanueva y Geltrú as part of the
Anti-Catalan policies of the era.