Castell de Cartellà: A Medieval Castle in Sant Gregori, Spain

Visitor Information

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Official Website: www.castillodecartella.com

Country: Spain

Civilization: Unclassified

Remains: Military

History

The Castell de Cartellà is situated in the municipality of Sant Gregori, Spain, and was constructed during the medieval period by feudal families established in the region. Its origins reach back to the 11th and 12th centuries within a feudal network dominated by the Montcada lineage, which exercised territorial control through vassalage agreements involving the Cartellà family.

Early documents from the 11th century refer to vassalage pacts that mention the castle’s area, with the Cartellà family appearing prominently in the 12th century. A notable reference from 1107 records Arnau de Cartellà as a witness in noble marriage contracts. The castle itself is explicitly mentioned in 1238 when Galceran de Cartellà and his wife Agnès established a priest in its chapel, confirming the site’s religious and residential importance at that time.

Ownership transitioned through several noble houses in the following centuries. After the Montcada and Cartellà families, Ramon de Xetmar acquired the castle in 1321, with his family maintaining control through much of the 14th and 15th centuries. Later, the castle passed by marriage to the Milany family, and subsequently to the Pinós and Agullana families, with records indicating continued lordship into the 15th century.

The castle played a role in regional conflicts during the Catalan civil war (1462–1472). In 1470, forces led by Verntallat occupied the castle, which was besieged shortly thereafter by troops from the Diputació, the local governing council. By 1495, Baldiri Agullana acquired the property through a public auction. During the 16th century, the castle was remodeled to function as a fortified residence, serving as a refuge amid internal family disputes.

From the late 1500s, the castle’s primary use shifted towards agricultural activities, prompting structural alterations that contributed to some deterioration over time. Preservation efforts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries sought to repair damage and adapt the complex for continued habitation, reflecting its enduring place in the region’s history.

Remains

The Castell de Cartellà displays a U-shaped layout formed by a combination of ground floor, first floor, and attic levels organized around a central rectangular courtyard. Defensive battlements crown portions of the structure, while a main tower, well preserved, connects to the rest of the complex through a northern extension of the walls. One arm of this U-shaped plan extends longer, incorporating a tower that features an open entrance at ground level and Gothic-style windows with stone moldings on upper floors.

Walls supporting the castle are constructed primarily from masonry, with carefully cut large stones, known as ashlar blocks, framing corners and window openings to reinforce stability. The main façade is distinguished by battlements along its top and a courtyard-level entrance formed by dovetailed stonework, a technique where stones interlock like puzzle pieces for strength. Above this entrance, a bifora window—one divided into two arches—is present, with trilobed (three-lobed) arches adding decorative detail. All exterior openings are uniformly bordered with dressed stone, highlighting the castle’s cohesive medieval craftsmanship.

Within the courtyard, two stone staircases ascend along the sides leading to a terrace on the first floor. This terrace is supported by low, curved stone arches called segmental arches. The enclosure’s perimeter walls are made from irregularly shaped stones, and near the main gate on the eastern side, fragments of opus spicatum—a herringbone pattern masonry—can be observed, indicating earlier construction phases. Architectural historians have dated portions of the walls to the 12th and 13th centuries, with many of the castle’s windows and other features added during the 14th century. More recent internal changes include the addition of a modern staircase.

The castle chapel, dedicated to the Virgin of Hope, is a rectangular building with a polygonal apse facing east—meaning the end of the chapel forms several angled sides rather than a simple curve—and is topped with a sloping Arabic tile roof. Its ground-level walls consist of finely cut ashlar stones while upper parts are built with rougher masonry. An external staircase attached to the apse wall allows access to an upper floor. Rising above the roof is a single-arched bell gable, a small structure housing the chapel’s bell.

Entry to the chapel is through its southern side, where a dovetailed door was originally constructed but now features a stone lintel, a horizontal block supporting the wall above the door opening. Inside, the chapel contains one main nave covered by a barrel vault, which is a rounded ceiling shaped like a half-cylinder. Natural light filters through three double-splayed windows—windows that widen internally to allow more light—located in the apse, the south wall, and the west wall beneath the bell gable. The chapel’s masonry features small squared stones laid evenly in horizontal rows, contrasting with the rubble stonework found in other parts of the building’s upper structure. Its interior was fully whitewashed and included painted decorations imitating ashlar block patterns along the apse and lower walls, reflecting medieval artistic styles. The original construction of the chapel dates back to the late 12th or early 13th century.

Strategically positioned on a triangular platform between the Gàrrep and Pedrola streams, the castle took advantage of natural water barriers that acted as moats. Stone bridges spanned these streams to provide controlled access to the castle and its outer enclosure, where the chapel stands. These geographical features emphasized the site’s defensive qualities while integrating the complex within the surrounding landscape.