Photo Essay: Montfalcó Murallat, Catalunya

Montfalcó Murallat, #11, Catalunya, 2019

Looking to settle into a nice little medieval town somewhere in Catalunya? Well, Montfalcó Murallat just might be what you’re after.

This tiny hilltop burg, located on the farming plains just off the A2 between Barcelona and Lleida, went through a sort of reconstruction period over recent years (2004-ish) and now some 15-20 or so houses have been renovated inside its thick walls. There is even the possibility of staying at one of three “rural tourism” inns.

Currently, though, it looks like that rehabilitation process has come to a halt and a number of structures look sadly abandoned. In fact, the place looked quite lifeless during our early November visit… lacking the little artist shops, bars, and restaurants you would expect to find in any other upscale, walled, medieval village (See Peratallada, for example).

So, my guess is that you could probably find a fixer-upper here at a bargain price–but you would need to put in some cash and serious elbow grease to build out your new home (or inn, or shop) to modern standards.

Some highlights about Montfalcó:

–The first recorded construction here dates from the 11th century, somewhere around the year 1043.

–The village, with walls and guard tower, was built by the Catalans once the Arabs were pushed south out of the area during the “Reconquista” and is strategically placed near the confluence of two rivers/creeks, the Sió and the Vergós.

–Hilltop elevation is 601 meters (1,972′) and the 8m (26′)-high walls form sort of a triangle atop the hill measuring 76m (249′) x 37m (121′) x 69m (226′)–a pretty small footprint for a “town”.

–There is but one entrance and cars won’t fit through the door, so you’ll have to park outside and walk in (or ride your bike or horse).

–There is a small interior plaza where you’ll see paving bricks that define the community cisterns which collected rain water in days of yore and gore.

–The communal bread oven remains as well, the stones worn down where the bread was worked.

–The 12th century Saint Peter Church sits inside the walls, the exterior of which has been restored (bell tower is 17-18th century).

Historical and Hysterical Local Legend:

“They say”… that, through the centuries, the town successfully suffered through several siege-and-conquer attempts. Put more plainly, that’s when angry armies want to bust through the walls for purposes of rape, pillage, arson, and other demented behaviors.

Apparently, during one such siege, with the idea of tempting the folks barricaded inside to give up (people who were presumably suffering from extreme starvation and thirst) a loaf of bread was launched from outside into the interior plaza, as if to say: “See what we will give you if you open your gates and surrender! Aren’t you guys getting pretty hungry in there?”

So what happened next, you ask?

Well, according to legend, the townsfolk promptly launched their own gastronomic reply right back out at the sieging army–a very fresh and slimy fish. (Note that this place is inland, quite far from the sea.)

As the story goes, tunnels allowed for the town to be almost indefinitely supplied with fresh provisions from the outside… and the sieging army gave up and moved on.

So they say, anyway.

Some Images of Montfalcó Murallat:

There was apparently a government-funded effort in 2004 to restore the village walls and perhaps turn it into a small but thriving community with local residents, tourism, arts, inns, eats, and so on. It looks this kick-start attempt has fizzled out for now (although the sign indicates renovations are continuing in/on the Saint Peter Church). Some areas look completely ruined and abandoned while other sections have been nicely renovated and rebuilt:

Montfalcó Murallat, #1, Catalunya, 2019

That’s the one and only entrance to the town on the left with the church/guard/bell tower (17th/18th century) on the right:

Montfalcó Murallat, #4, Catalunya, 2019

Many areas still need major work:

Montfalcó Murallat, #6, Catalunya, 2019

An example of one home that has been partially restored, Cal Gili:

Montfalcó Murallat, #7, Catalunya, 2019

From inside, looking back toward the outside via the main entrance–no cars can fit through there:

Montfalcó Murallat, #8, Catalunya, 2019

The main plaza:

Montfalcó Murallat, #9, Catalunya, 2019

Maybe this could be your dream house?

Montfalcó Murallat, #10, Catalunya, 2019

This area, just off of the main plaza, has been nicely finished:

Montfalcó Murallat, #11, Catalunya, 2019

Jaume shows off Cal Jaume:

Montfalcó Murallat, #13, Catalunya, 2019

A cowbell-doorbell:

Montfalcó Murallat, #14, Catalunya, 2019

Another partial or ongoing renovation:

Montfalcó Murallat, #15, Catalunya, 2019

The one interior street:

Montfalcó Murallat, #16, Catalunya, 2019

The communal bread oven. If you look closely, on the right you’ll see some divots in the “bench” from where the bread was worked–perhaps the grain was ground into flour there?

Montfalcó Murallat, #17, Catalunya, 2019

Continuing along the only street in town, two cats await:

Montfalcó Murallat, #18, Catalunya, 2019

A cistern in the Plaça Major:

Montfalcó Murallat, #20, Catalunya, 2019

A second, and larger, cistern in the main plaza:

Montfalcó Murallat, #21, Catalunya, 2019

When was the last time someone paid a visit to Cal Vicens?

Montfalcó Murallat, #22, Catalunya, 2019

Below the new window, note how an older entrance or window was filled in:

Montfalcó Murallat, #23, Catalunya, 2019

The agrarian landscape that surrounds the town is quite photogenic. Black and white tends to work well in these mid-day, high-contrast-type photographs: