The enduring lineage of the Josa family in Castellar

The cylindrical watchtower of the Castell i muralla de Castellar offers a steady invitation to study the past. Its rounded form reveals a deliberate layering of history, where the remains of the old tower seem to be covered by what remains of the current structure.

Documentation shows the castle was completed in 1154. Its lords became the predominant landed gentry of the area, serving under the counts of Urgell and later the counts of Cardona. While the canonry of Solsona obtained some land from the counts of Urgell since the ninth century, the castle lords maintained civil jurisdiction. During the late twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the Galceran de Santa Fe were the lords, but the Josa lineage became the most long-lasting family in the region.

By the sixteenth century, the lineage merged into the Josa i Peguera family. Their descendants continued to hold the land as late as 1828. Today, the site remains a protected cultural asset, featuring ruins of walls and foundations in the small settlement of Castellar near Sant Pere de Castellar.

Because the current structure is difficult to detect, a 1934 drawing published in La Veu de Catalunya remains a vital record for understanding the castle's layout. This historical sketch serves as a primary resource for visualizing the footprint of the site's enduring architecture.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons