Castell de Quermançó
| Castell de Quermançó | ||
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 Castell de Quermançó |
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| Alternative name (s): | Castell de Carmençó, Castillo de Carmanso |
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| Creation time : | 11th century | |
| Castle type : | Summit castle | |
| Conservation status: | Castle ruins | |
| Place: | Vilajuïga | |
| Geographical location | 42 ° 20 '24 " N , 3 ° 5' 31" E | |
| Height: | 120 m | |
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The Castell de Quermançó , also Castell de Carmençó , ( Catalan for 'Castle of Quermançó', in Spanish Castillo de Carmanso ) is a ruined castle from the 11th century in the municipality of Vilajuïga .
location
The Castell de Quermançó is located on a rugged cliff about 120 meters above sea level and is today an important example of the Catalan defensive castles of the Middle Ages.
history
The secured history of the castle can be traced back to 1078. That year Count Ponç I set up the archives of his county Empúries in the castle. In the centuries that followed, the Castell was the scene of bloody battles between the political and military powers in the region. In 1808 the castle was conquered by the French under Napoleon Bonaparte . During the Napoleonic wars, the castle complex was initially expanded and used as a weapons and ammunition depot. When the French withdrew from Spain, Marshal Suchet had the castle blown up in 1814 and transformed into today's ruins.
Myths and Legends
According to popular legend , the castle was temporarily the repository of the Holy Grail . According to tradition, knights of the Cathars are said to have initially hidden the Holy Grail in the Castell de Quermançó on their flight from Montsegur . Later, the cup of blood of Jesus is said to have been brought from there to Montserrat .
According to another legend, the castle was the seat of the magician Klingsor , the adversary of the knights Parzival and Gawan from the Grail saga.
According to another legend, there is still a gold goat in the former underground escape passages of the castle, which a Moorish king or the Jews of Vilajuïga are said to have hidden there on their escape.
The robber chief "Countess Teresa von Molins" from Sant Pere Pescador is said to have also used the castle as a hiding place in the 19th century and to have blown up the castell and her band of robbers at the end with the remains of the French powder.
Salvador Dalí's relationship with the Castell
Salvador Dalí had a particular fondness for the castle ruins that lie on the road between his birthplace Figueres and his home in Portlligat near Cadaqués . He planned to have a large organ built there, which would generate music solely through the action of the often strong north wind Tramontana . After Dalí's death a few years ago, this project was taken up again by the current owner and the “friends of the castle”, but has not yet been implemented. In the 1960s, Dalí wanted to buy the ruins of the castle for his wife Gala and expand them; the purchase price offered seemed too low to the owner at the time. Dalí chose the Castell de Quermançó as a motif for two of his paintings.
Today's condition and usage
The outer walls and half a tower have been preserved from the original castle. The private owner of the Castells de Quermançó had the access to the ruin and the interior of the castle that was left over after the demolition designed in a way that was appropriate to the landscape and monument. The Center d'Acollida Turistica (CAT) tourist reception center in Vilajuïga is now offering guided tours of the castle ruins.
In addition, the castle serves as the trademark of the local mineral water spring, which has been marketed in the region as Aigua de Vilajuïga since 1904 .
Tower ruin
Detail view
Detail view
Brand logo
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dr. Wolfram Janzen: Quermançó Castle was opened to the public with a large audience. www.arena-info.com, accessed on October 22, 2010 .
- ↑ Aigua de Vilajuïga. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on September 27, 2013 ; Retrieved October 28, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Web links
- Castell de Quermanço Official website of the Quermanço Fortress. (Catalan, Spanish, German)
- Castell de Quermanço Photos and history of the castle near Pobles de Catalunya . (Catalan)
- La recuperació de Quermançó “The recovery of Quermançó”. Article in AVUI of July 16, 2010 (Catalan)
- El somni de Dalí "The Dream of Dalí". Item in Sortim . (Catalan)