The Montpalau hill castle: a medieval fortress in Pineda de Mar

Perched atop Montpalau hill, the medieval castle of Castell de Montpalau is a declared Bé Cultural d’Interès Nacional in Pineda de Mar, Maresme, Spain. Originally constructed as a **fortress** – and not just a castle – its remains still stand, testifying to centuries of occupation. This early medieval fortress has a rich and interesting history that’s worth uncovering.

The fortress, which was first documented in 1082 when Count Borrell II ceded it to a French knight, underwent numerous changes in ownership with the Cabrera family selling it to the Montcada family in 1566. The structure follows a square layout, with walls approximately 28 meters long and wide, made of roughly hewn stones bonded with lime and sand mortar.

The southern wall boasts a double-arched window, with a flat interior lintel and three smaller successive arches towards the interior. Interestingly, only the foundations of the walls on the east and north sides remain from the medieval fortress. A different wall at the northeast angle replaces the original.

Remnants of the lower chapel at Castell de Montpalau, located below the level of the 15th-century fortress, are believed to have been inactive. The chapel, documented from the 12th century, was dedicated to St. Michael.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons