The history of the Torre de Castellnou de Bages

The Torre de Castellnou de Bages sits atop a steep hill overlooking the Llobregat valley. The castle was documented in 1001, and between 1018 and 1023, Guifré de Cerdanya pledged loyalty to the countess Ermessenda de Carcassona. The feudal domain was held by the Balsareny family, and in 1020, Guifré de Balsareny bequeathed it to his wife Ingilberga, who left it to her son Bernat Guifré de Balsareny in her 1038 testament.

The tower, of circular section, has a height of 12 meters. Its three floors reduce in height as they rise, and the structure is made of stone blocks arranged in rows and united with gray mortar. While there are no openings, it likely had a door at the height of the second floor. Traces of plaster remain on the exterior walls, indicating the tower was once fully plastered.

To the south of the tower are the remains of a rectangular construction with walls 1.10 meters thick that sink about 70 cm below the ground level. To the east, on a slope, there is a 6.60-meter-long retaining wall. The hill on which the tower stands is cut by a ditch, particularly to the south.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons