(the ancient Ilerda), a town of Spain, province of Catalonia, situate partly on a hill, and partly on the adjoining plain on the right bank of the Segre, here crossed by a handsome stone bridge, 85 miles W. of Barcelona. It occupies a position of great natural strength, and was in ancient times an important military station. In the Punic wars it took part with the Carthaginians, and suffered much from the Roman arms. In its immediate neighbourhood, Hannibal was defeated by Scipio, B.C. 216; and it afterwards became still more famous as the scene of Caesar's arduous campaign against Pompey's lieutenants, Afranius and Petreius, in the first year of the civil war (B.C. 49). Under the empire it was a very flourishing city, and a municipium, but it subsequently fell into decay. In the middle ages it again rose into importance, and in modern times it has sustained numerous sieges. It was taken by storm in 1707, during the war of the succession, and was again taken by the French in 1810. Lerida is the second city of Catalonia, and is strongly fortified. The principal street is nearly a mile in length, and consists of one long line of white houses, with red and green balconies, but the rest of the town is generally crowded and ill built. The old cathedral presents some beautiful Gothic, with other styles. It was built by James I. of Aragon, but often repaired. It is now fast going to decay, having never been used for religious purposes since 1707, when the French made it a fortress. The new cathedral, built in the reign of Fernando VI., is an imposing structure, of Corinthian architecture, surmounted by two handsome square towers. Pop. 12,472.