A key point for the Templars to organize domains in north Catalonia

The Castell de Puig-reig, in the comtat de Berga, is a medieval castle that was repurposed as a farm during the 17th and 18th centuries. Although it now serves as a farm, it was once a key point for the order of the Temple. The first documentary reference to the castle dates back to 907, and the order of the Temple received the castle and its territory in 1187, with the domain being confirmed and clarified in 1231. In 1239, the commanders of the Berguedà and Cerdanya constructed a new fortified building on the site of a large agricultural exploitation.

The castle was defended by the river Llobregat and three levels of walls, within which the town of Puig-reig was formed in the 13th century. In 1281, the order of the Temple granted a charter of liberties to the inhabitants of the castle and the village of Puig-reig to stimulate settlement and exempt them from certain fees and personal services.

The order of the Temple was dissolved in 1312, and its properties passed to the military order of the Hospital. During the dissolution process in Catalonia, Arnau Sescomes, a member of a prominent local family, played an important role in the defense of the Templars. He was a counselor to King Jaume II and held a significant position in Catalan political life. The domain over Puig-reig remained a key point for the order to organize their holdings in north Catalonia until the transition of power.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons