Castell de Caldes: A Medieval Fortification in Catalonia, Spain

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Official Website: www.caldesdemalavella.cat

Country: Spain

Civilization: Unclassified

Remains: Military

History

Castell de Caldes is located in the municipality of Caldes de Malavella, Spain. This fortification was constructed during the medieval period, with its origins tied to the defensive and administrative needs of the region. Its development reflects the changing political landscape of Catalonia from the 11th century onward.

The earliest known references to the site date from the mid-11th century, with documents mentioning places called “Castro Vetulo” and “Castro quod dicunt Malavela.” These early records relate to land grants and feudal vows involving the counts of Girona and their consorts, indicating the strategic importance of the area even before the castle itself was clearly established. The first explicit mention of the castle dates to 1183, found in a legal ruling associated with the local town charter known as the “carta forum de Calidis.”

By the early 13th century, the castle appears under the name “Malavetula,” and by the following century, the locality was known as “Calidis de Malaveglia.” Initially, the site was part of the viscounty of Cabrera’s territory. However, starting in 1240, the castle came under the royal domain connected to the nearby castle of Llagostera. This shift was confirmed by King James I of Aragon in 1241 when he granted privileges to the residents of both Llagostera and Caldes, marking the castle’s integration into the crown’s holdings.

Later, in 1375, King Peter IV created the barony of Llagostera and granted it to Gastó de Montcada i de Lloria, officially uniting Castell de Caldes with this barony. This arrangement persisted until the end of the old feudal system in the late 18th century. Ownership records show that by 1831, the castle grounds were held by the Duke of Medinaceli, a noble who also bore the title of Viscount of Cabrera. The castle structure itself was demolished during the late 19th century, ending its physical presence while the site retained cultural and historical significance.

Remains

Today, what remains of Castell de Caldes mainly consists of a defensive wall section and three distinct towers, all set on the Sant Grau hill overlooking the town. The surviving stretch of curtain wall extends roughly 20 meters along a north-south axis. This wall is built with an irregular arrangement of stones bonded with generous lime mortar. Within its stonework, horizontal bands of regularly spaced stones appear, a technique likely related to using metal or wooden frameworks during construction. The wall’s style suggests it dates from the 14th century, coinciding with the castle’s continued use in the medieval period. Positioned adjacent to this wall are the remains tied to the Roman thermal baths nearby, linking the medieval fortification closely to earlier historical layers of the area.

One of the three towers, known as Tower A, lies next to the Casa Rosa, a building now serving as a local government office. Tower A has a distinctive horseshoe shape—wider at its base and tapering upwards—which may have served both structural and defensive purposes. Crafted from local granite blocks and brick used for arch-shaped voussoirs, the tower is topped with traditional Arabic-style roof tiles. It is attached to two medieval structures that have undergone significant alterations over centuries, reflecting the adaptive use of the castle precinct’s buildings.

Tower B features a semicircular design and presents two distinct phases in its construction. Its lower portion consists of neatly arranged masonry, evidencing an earlier building phase. Above this, rustic construction using granite and basalt blocks forms the upper part. Decorative elements include three blind semicircular arches (arched openings filled in with stone or brick), whose edges and vaults are composed of brickwork. A small decorative brick cornice crowns the tower. Notably, this tower now adjoins a building constructed in the 20th century, showing how the site’s structures have been integrated into more recent developments.

The oldest tower, Tower C, also semicircular in plan, lies northeast of the Roman thermal bath complex. It is connected to a corner of the main curtain wall and built primarily from carefully dressed rectangular granite blocks. Its stonework contrasts with the rougher masonry of the curtain wall it adjoins, which includes roughly shaped stones interspersed with stone bands for structural stability. Tower C’s foundations may date back to Roman times, placing its origins between the late 12th and mid-13th centuries. This tower’s age and construction suggest it was a key defensive feature in the castle’s earliest phase.

Together, these remaining walls and towers provide a tangible connection to the site’s medieval history, revealing layers of construction and reuse that span several centuries while preserving links to even earlier Roman foundations nearby.