Montpalau Castle
Montpalau Hill. Access by a footpath originating at Can Martorell.
In the summit of the Montpalau hill, on the side of the Montnegre massif
facing Pineda, there are the ruins of the ancient Montpalau castle, the
jurisdiction of which encompassed a very large territory comprising a
great part of the Higher Maresme, from Arenys until Horsavinyà,
in the limit of the domain of the PalafollsCastle.
Many centuries before the construction of the castle, there had been
on the site an Iberian settlement that left many remains, dateable as
from the IV century BC, that lasted well into the roman era. Probably,
the best part of the stones of this early settlement were used in the
building of the medieval castle, which started to appear in records as
from the mid XI century, when Umbert Odó and his wife Sicardis,
the lords of the Montseny, pledged loyalty to count Ramon Berenguer the
First, for the castles of Montpalau (Mont Palaz) and Gironella.
During the XII century, the viscounts of Cabrera gradually acquired all
the domains of the Montpalau jurisdiction, a possession they kept until
1574, when it was sold to Francesc of Montcada, marquis of Aitona.
During the XVII century, the Montpalau domain included the municipal areas
of Pineda, Sant Pere de Riu, Hortsavinyà, Sant Pol, Canet, Calella,
Sant Cebrià and Sant Iscle de Vallalta. By marriage, the property
passed from the Montcada family to the Dukes of Medinaceli (XVIII century).
Some walls remain from the medieval fortress, which appear to define a quadrilateral enclosure. The pattern is made out of a course of random ashlars, joint by sand and lime mortar. The angles and the round-headed window,which survived to these days, are of ashlars of a yellower stone, well cut and disposed in stretcher bond. In the centre of the castle there was a cylindrical tower, presently knocked down. There are some remains of a second enclosure built at a later time, maybe in the XV century. Outside the walled area we find the ruins of the ancient castle's chapel, devoted to Sant Miguel (St. Michael), on records as from the XII century.