seaport of Spain, on the Mediterranean, in the province and 21 miles N.E. of Barcelona; N. Lat. 41° 32' 5", and E. Long. 2° 28' 24". The town is beautifully situated, partly on the slopes of the Cordillera which separates the coast from the Valles, and partly on the plain beneath. Hills, covered to the summits with vines, shelter it in the form of an amphitheatre from the cold northern winds. The streets of the new town, the part of the city next the sea, are handsome and regular. The most notable buildings are the church of Santa Maria, dating from 1675, which contains some good pictures; the hospital; and the theatre. There are schools of navigation and of the fine arts; but the chief educational institution is the college of PP. Escolapios, founded in 1737, and in 1829 incorporated with the university of Cervera. Close to the walls flows the small River Carca. The principal agricultural product is wine, which is exported by Barcelona. There is a considerable fishery, the results of which are disposed of inland, in Manresa and other places. The railway connecting this town with Barcelona, which was opened in October 1848 (the first in Spain) has given a great impulse to the industry of Mataro. It is entirely a manufacturing town. There are ten cotton factories, of which seven are worked by steam; also of cotton and woollen cloth, silk, velvet, and stockings. The manufacture of canvas and of tarpsalin is extensively carried on, and several hundred women are employed in making lace. There are numerous potteries and various chemical works; leather, glue, glass, bricks, and some other articles are also made. The trade is carried on chiefly through Barcelona, Mataro having no artificial harbour, and the attempts at various times to construct one having been frustrated. The modern name of the town, Mataro (mataros), appears, according to some, to correspond with the ancient Latin name Civitas Funicularia. Mataro enjoyed many privileges from the Spanish monarchs in reward for its generous assistance in their naval expeditions. The most melancholy page of its history is the cruel sack it underwent from the French on the 17th of June 1808. The celebrated Capmany, author of the Teatro Historico-critico de la Elocuencia Castellana, and other excellent works, was a native of this town. Pop. (1845) 13,010.