Castell de Malavella

Castell de Malavella, north wall from the outside

The Castell de Malavella is a ruined castle in Caldes de Malavella , a Catalan town in the Comarca La Selva in the province of Girona . As a Bé Cultural d'Interès Nacional , the Castell is under the highest level of monument protection .

history

The Castell de Malavella was first mentioned as Castro Vetulo in 1057 in a deed of donation from Countess Ermessenda (wife of Count Ramon Borrell) . In 1057 it was mentioned as Castro quod dicunt Malavela . In 1225 the fortification is mentioned as Malavetula and in 1309 as Calidis de Malaveglia . It was a fortification of the barony of Llagostera . Rebuilt into a castle in the 14th century, the complex was owned by the Duke of Medinaceli, Count von Cabrera.

description

The castle is right next to the Església de Sant Maurici pilgrimage church and about one kilometer above the Parc de Malavella settlement , which is about 3 kilometers outside the city proper. It lies on a flat surface on the top of a small hill. The preserved foundation walls consist of large, irregular basalt blocks.

The best-preserved east wall is opposite the church. A niche was worked into the wall in which a figure of Our Lady of Lourdes was placed. It, like the church, is the subject of local pilgrimages.

In the northwest corner, the remains of a square tower have been preserved. In the northeast corner are the remains of the castle chapel, which, like the pilgrimage church, was consecrated to St. Maurice. There was also a square tower in the southeast corner, about 7 meters of which have been preserved.

In the middle of the system there is a trigonometric point ( Vértice geodésico ) of the Instituto Geográfico Nacional de España .