Castell d'Arbul belongs to the municipality of Tremp, in the former municipality of Fígols de Tremp, in the Pallars Jussà region. It is located in the old village of scattered habitat of Arbul, at the southwest end of the careena descending from Montllobar, also southwest of the village of Fígols de Tremp.
First mentioned in 1077, the castle and the village of Arbul were bequeathed to the Hospitalers of the Comanda de Susterris in a testament. The site consists of the remains of a medieval castle from the Romanesque era. Between the castle and the Mare de Déu d'Arbul, one can see the remains of a medieval settlement with the characteristics of a fortification and a defensive castle.
The name Arbul is one of the most controversial toponyms in the Pallars. According to linguist Joan Coromines, the name should not be Arbull, but rather Arbul or Erbul. He suggests the toponym comes from the Basque roots erb- (rabbit) and lohi (lot), which would have formed the word Erbuloi, coinciding with the Romance toponyms Fontllebrera or Vall-llebrera. The approved name in the official toponymy of Catalonia is Arbul.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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