Castell de Balsareny: A fortress of national interest

The Castell de Balsareny is a fortress in Balsareny (Bages), catalogued as a cultural asset of national interest and the centre of the barony of the same name. The castle appears in documents from 951, dating back to the Carolingian era, and in documents from 966 and 990 it is mentioned as Castrum Balciarenno. In the 10th and 11th centuries, a family with the surname Balsareny settled there. The first known person was Guifré de Balsareny, who in 1009 bought houses in the village of Balsareny.

The castle was enfeaded to Bernat i Miró Riculf in 1063; however, descendants do not seem to have continued the lineage. Between 1142 and 1281, various owners were documented, including members of the Balsareny family, the de Vilallonga family, and the de Peguera family. Later, the barony passed through the Oliver and Corbera-Santcliment families before being acquired by the Martín family in 1649. In the late 19th century, the castle underwent restoration beginning in 1888 under the patronage of the Baron Josep Joaquim Alòs i de Martín.

The temple within the fortress dates to the 12th century, with reconstructions of the façade in the 13th century. At the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries, it was expanded with a sacristy and a Baroque chapel dedicated to the Mare de Déu, covered with a dome to serve as a family pantheon. During the Civil War, the fortress was looted and the image of the Mare de Déu was destroyed. In the 1950s, a further restoration was promoted by Baron Lluís Ignasi d'Alòs i Huelín.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons