Castell d'Esponellà: a medieval fortress on a hill overlooking the Fluvià

El Castell d'Esponellà is a medieval construction in Pla de l'Estany, declared a bé cultural d'interès nacional. While there are no explicit mentions of a fortress to clarify its origins, records suggest a small fortification, possibly a tower, existed during the 11th century. This structure was controlled by the Creixell de Borrassà family before passing to the Palera family in the 12th and 13th centuries, and eventually to the Rocabertí family in the early 14th century.

In 1380, l'infant Joan, duke of Girona, sold the jurisdiction of the site to his physician Guillem Colteller. In 1381, Colteller obtained the right to establish his seigniory as a castle or barony, and it is believed he began the construction of the castle at that time. The fortress underwent a general reform in the late 14th century, during which the enclosure was expanded to the south with terraces, a moat was built, and the west wall was reinforced. The general structure from this period remains similar to the one seen today.

Located on a hill overlooking the town of Esponellà, the paths between the Pla de l'Estany and the Empordà, and the Fluvià river, the castle served a vital strategic position. Archaeological campaigns were carried out in 1999 - 2000 and 2012 - 2013, followed by excavations and consolidation work in 2013 and 2014. Today, the castle remains as a collection of stone walls, a large square tower with a cobble pavement, and two cisterns - one large rectangular one for rainwater and a smaller one from the period when the castle functioned as a farmhouse.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons