Thanks for the detailed story with photos. Unfortunately, nowadays very few people devote time to writing such articles. I look forward to continuing, I really want to know about other major castles in Europe!
Evgeniy [right] [/right]
I would like to start this material … with an apology. Well … it is impossible, Eugene, to write about other main castles in Europe, because there are just a lot of these castles. And I was only in a few castles in France, in Spain and in one castle not far from Kaliningrad (or rather, in what was left of it!), And that was all. So, alas, I have very few personal impressions. True, when there is enough information at hand, as was the case, for example, with Conwy Castle, then why not write. But it’s not that interesting anyway. However, why not take the opportunity and tell about those castles in which I really was, took pictures of them myself and climbed everything? Not too scientific, but based on my own impressions. And if the readers of VO have nothing against this, and I hope they do not, then this time I will do so.
Lookout tower and castle wall of San Juan, Blanes, Costa Brava.
And it so happened that when I came to Spain on vacation in 2013, there was no such room in the hotel where I had ordered a triple room! And we were temporarily accommodated in two rooms, which, of course, was not very convenient - my wife and I were in one, my daughter and granddaughter were in the other, and for a while we just ran from room to room in search of the right things that ended up in different suitcases. True, from the very beginning I showed the administrator my card of an international journalist and said that it is the duty of journalists to write about everything that happens to them. And they can write about the same thing very well, and very bad! In response, the administrator nodded his head and already found the room by dinner! And they didn't just find it, they apologized, and together with the apology they gave out a card to the restaurant bar for free use of local wine in the desired quantity! So at lunch and dinner now we had wine, and besides, it was also free.
I immediately asked the bartender, and which one of those that he has at the exhibition, he drinks himself, and he showed me a bottle of Palafolls wine - white, pink and red. We immediately tasted it on tap, and the wine really turned out to be very tasty. So then we took only it and already regularly. There was a picture of the castle ruins on the label, and I asked the bartender where is it? "And here nearby!" - he answered, and I decided that … I will definitely watch it.
And then we went by train to the neighboring town of Blanes to see the Marimurtri arboretum, and exactly halfway, on a steep hill, I saw the ruins of this castle. And in Blanes itself, on a high cliff, where the Marimurtri gardens are located, I also noticed the high fortress tower of the San Juan castle. History itself went into my hands, and could I refuse it? “Wait for me on the beach by the cliff” - I said to my women and went to this castle, but they refused and went down, as the road up was very steep. True, and picturesque! On the one side there are houses that have grown into the rock, on the other - the roofs of houses that have also grown into it, but below the level of the road.
If I were in the place of the builders, I would have put the castle here, although … it is possible that they were right when they erected it higher and further from the sea.
All guidebooks say that the castle is located in the northern part of the city of Blanes at an altitude of 173 meters above sea level, and that from there a beautiful view opens not only of the city itself, but also of all its surroundings, and this is really so. It is further reported that it was built in the middle of the 12th century by the Viscount Cabrera on the ruins of a fortress dating back to the era of Roman rule. Moreover, it was noted that the castle was invulnerable, and I willingly believed it when I climbed the beautiful asphalt road to the top. But I was walking light, and the soldiers of that time were dragging along the narrow "killed" road, and the question is: what were they carrying up the equipment and food? If they were pirates who had arrived to plunder the coast, then where did the "transport" and horses come from? And if the neighbors, then … how did this lonely castle prevent them? Was it because of sadism alone that they climbed so high to kill his defenders?
On the right is a view of the city.
It is known that in the 16th century, when pirate attacks from the sea sharply increased, a high watchtower was attached to one of the walls. At the end of the 16th century, the castle was sold to the private ownership of Francesca Montsada, a Spanish military man, diplomat and writer. To be honest, I don't quite understand what he was doing with this pile of stones, because, apart from the tower, there is not a single room under the roof! In 1949 it was included in the list of the cultural heritage of Spain and in time - almost all of its buildings, and even part of the wall were destroyed. But today the walls have been repaired, so you can inspect them. As for the watchtower, there was no need to restore it, but there is no entrance inside.
Entrance to the castle.
Walking around the castle around the perimeter, I was convinced that people lived in it in incredible cramped conditions, for it is a rectangle of 25 by 30 m. A stone water tank, some "passages" and courtyards, a tower and that's it! If I were an enemy commander, I would not even go up here. Moreover, it is easier to send a signal from the tower with smoke and fire, and it will be visible even in Barcelona on Montjuïc! So help to the defenders from the outside will certainly come and … why then should both me and my people start sweating and kick their legs, climbing up? This “strengthening” disappointed me greatly, and I went downstairs, rejoicing in a cloudy day. Lucky!
Spanish children storm the castle.
And then I saw a narrow staircase steeply descending to the sea. Lucky again! Don't zip along the highway! I went, and a whole bunch of children in blue ties and yellow shirts met me - a Spanish school camp. In every school there is such a form of summer leisure for students. Everyone, including the leaders - strong guys and girls, has the same shape, visible from a distance. I saw how on the beach they are taught to swim and row in kayaks, how in the city they are taken to museums and parks - well done by the Spaniards, one thing can be said.
Watchtower of the San Juan Castle.
The entrance to the tower. There is nothing more to see in the castle!
Children climb upstairs, and the last one is a negro girl with pigtails and a backpack over her shoulders. The legs are thin, the baby herself … And the counselor - “Pronto! Pronto! " I told her: “Poor child, rest, take your time. The castle won't run away! " And she told me: "Oh, at least one kind person, and that foreigner!" And so they parted.
Palafalls castle on the hill.
The next day, impressed by what he saw, he decided to see Palafalls Castle. “Taxi? How much? - Very expensive! Sorry! " - and went on foot, fortunately it turned out that this is another pleasure. The highway on the left from Barcelona to Girona is beautiful! The shoulder on the right is clean and wide! All around nature. Negroes are working in the fields covered with black film, greenery and flowers are all around, birds are singing, in a word, everything is as it should be. People from cars rushing past show their thumbs - they say, well done, man, you walk with your feet! He walked five kilometers and here he is at the top of the Cerro del Castillo hill. The highway, however, took me away from it, but it was a "killed" road that led to the hill and the castle in a purely Russian way, well, just like in our outback. I walked along it and came out to the foot of the hill, and there … a village on its slope. It was called Mas-Karbo and, walking along one of its streets, I involuntarily thought that either aliens attacked it and all its inhabitants were kidnapped, or a neutron bomb was detonated over it. Everything is intact, there are toys in the pools in the courtyards, there is a ball on the football field and … none of the people can be seen, as if they have evaporated!
Plan of the Mas-Karbo village.
There was no one to ask where the castle was, but it was necessary to ask, because it was not visible up close, but only from afar. And where to go, where to look for him? I walked, walked, amazed at the quality of the "village buildings" (all made of stone, and what kind of stone, everyone has swimming pools in the courtyards), and then, luckily for me, a very young girl in shorts and a T-shirt, and in good English, appeared from one such mansion. although stammering, she explained that I would continue to go straight and straight, and then I had to turn left, and there would be a castle that the senor was looking for. By the way, in this “village” there was an excellent modern stadium, a restaurant (which was open, however, only from 12 o'clock), and also an old church - “live, I don’t want to!”.
House in Mas Carbo for sale. Eh, I would like this!
Another house in Mas Carbo.
Well, then I saw the ruins of the castle. In one of the guidebooks, he is called "great", and if he wrote this, he lied, then quite a bit. And most importantly - as much as I have not read about locks, but I have not seen this. The fact is that it is located on a high and elongated hill, and there is very little space at the top. So it is literally built on … "razor blade". It is believed to have been built as early as 968 to protect the fertile valley of the Tordera River, and to control the road from Barcelona to Girona, which then ran along the coast. Before that, there seemed to be a Benedictine monastery, so the place was also "prayed", and therefore especially convenient.
Even today, Palafalls Castle looks very impressive.
In 1002, by decree of the Counts of Barcelona, Ramon Borrell and Hermesinda Carcassonne, the castle was transferred to the Viscount of Girona - Sanifred. However, since 1035, the Palafalls family has been named as the owners of the castle. Throughout the 13th century, they completed and fortified it until it became one of the most fortified castles on the coast. In 1229, Guillaume de Palafolls accompanied Guillaume de Moncada during the conquest of the island of Mallorca by James I the Conqueror, and by that time the castle itself had grown significantly in size. Well, the fertile and well-groomed lands that were located around the castle gave its masters a good harvest, and thus brought them wealth and prosperity.
The plan of Palafalls Castle, but you can't figure it out on it, because all the signatures are in Catalan. 23 is a restored chapel and 41 is a watchtower.
But this is his reconstruction, and at least something is clear on it.
When one of the heiresses of this family married the Viscount Cabrera, he also received Palafolls Castle with all its richest land plot as a wedding gift. True, he did not stay in his hands for long, but here in 1370 a civil war began in Catalonia. The crown needed the castle, and the then king … first exchanged it with the Palafalls family for the castle of Aragon (after which its representatives became the Marquises of Ariza), and then in 1382 sold it to Viscount Bernard IV Cabrera for 21,000 pounds. But there was still no proper care for him, and he began to gradually deteriorate. In the 16th century, the castle experienced a rebirth, as it was needed to fight pirates. He was armed with artillery, but a century later, all the property from it was sold under the hammer, and he himself eventually turned into ruins.
Chapel. And someone has already “signed” on the wall …
The vaulted ceiling of the Palafalls Castle Chapel. But inside is completely, completely empty!
Well, meanwhile the road led me straight to the site in front of the ruins of the castle. There were no buses, no crowds of tourists, but no rubbish. Well, now is the time to remember about … safety rules when visiting such structures destroyed by time, which are, moreover, far from any home. They are easy to remember, but you must follow them! Firstly, children should not be allowed to climb these ruins alone. Secondly, you should only walk inside them on well-trodden paths and not get anywhere else! Stones that look so strong can easily fall off from time to time and overwhelm you. You cannot climb the walls unless there are stairs with railings.
Palafalls Castle Gate. The slots of the lowering grate are clearly visible.
The stones should not be turned over either, as a snake or a scorpion may lurk under them. But then you can and should take pictures, but also … not everything in a row, but after thinking, and not taking only selfies in the style: "me and the wall", "me and the bush", for this it is not at all necessary to go to Spain. However, no, there is one more very important rule, which many people very often forget for some reason: do not write anything on the walls. Caption: "Vasya was here!" on the wall of the 13th century castle looks very stupid and uncivilized. We simply have no right to be like the barbarians, wherever we are, because behind us is a great country!
Loopholes and beams in Palafalls Castle.
To date, only the chapel has been restored in the castle, the castle courtyard and the observation tower, where a metal staircase leads, and the entrance, have been put in order. Everything else is ruins, but on them you can read his story like a book, and this is exactly what is interesting! First of all, we note that the castle is very narrow. The slopes of the hill on which it is located are so steep that it did not need any ditches. It was only possible to approach it from the ends. And the masonry is located on it in a very interesting way - in layers from the 10th century to the 14th century, when the castle reached its current size. The watchtower also faces a steep slope to the east. In the western part, the hill also has a very steep slope. But there is at least a platform leading to the gate. That is, the ends were the most vulnerable, and therefore strengthened them the best. Here, the flag of Catalonia is now waving over the highest place of the castle, that is, any tourist here, as in other places, immediately understands that … "Catalonia is not Spain!" That is, Catalan separatism flourished and is flourishing.
By the way, while inside castles such as Palafalls, carefully examine the walls. On them you can see traces of fireplaces, because they loved to sit by the fire even in warm Spain, not to mention other countries. And here you will see the fireplace, and where it is - there, it means, there was a donjon! But here, special attention should be paid to small square holes in the walls above the fireplace, as well as above and below the windows. Square wooden beams were inserted into them, on which the floors were laid! Yes, there was a lot of wood in medieval castles! The walls were just a box, and all the floors between the floors were made of wood! Only in the castle chapel the ceiling is stone, vaulted, and the roof is tiled, but in ordinary rooms even the floor of stone tiles was laid on wooden beams.
Palafalls Castle. Note the fireplace in the wall.
Well, and about the views opening up in front of you, which you can admire to your heart's content from the watchtower, you don't have to say: it will redeem any road here. By the way, in the distance you can see the city of Blanes and on a hill above the city - the castle of San Juan with its observation tower. It was enough to light a fire there and pile wet straw on it, as in the Palafalls castle they would immediately notice.
By the way, now you know how to find the castle chapel. As a rule, this was a room with paintings on the walls and a vaulted ceiling. The chapel could also have cross-shaped windows, and a stone bowl could be placed in one of the walls. The bowl was needed to pour water into it and rinse the chalice in it - a sacred vessel used during divine services. The chapel in Palafols Castle has been restored, but alas, no murals have survived there.
Donjon. View from the side of the chapel.
I went to the watchtower, and a man with glasses, shorts and a backpack on his shoulders that my students wear. I told him in the Spanish manner: "O-la!" And he suddenly told me in English: "You are not a Spaniard!" “Yes,” I say, “I am Russian from Russia. Who are you? " “I,” he says, “an American architect, am fond of the architecture of medieval castles. My two women - wife and daughter on the beach in Blanes! " I told him: “I am a Russian historian, I am fond of the history of medieval castles. My three women: wife, daughter and granddaughter on the beach in Malgrad de Mar!"
He chuckled so funny, but I looked, held out his hand to me and said: "We are both a little crazy, but we belong to great countries, and we can afford it!" I nodded to him, we shook hands and parted. That's how, he admits that we are a great country. Immediately and without hesitation. A trifle, it would seem, but it was nice!
A loophole for shooters.
But as soon as I left the castle onto the road, two Germans on bicycles came across me. Bare to the waist and so sweaty that sweat just dripped from them. In general, I have never met such tatty people. They twist the pedals clearly with their last bit of strength and shout: “Castle! Castle! Well, I showed them the castle and walked back down the road. And from a distance the castle seemed to me much more monumental than when I was next to it! Such was the “castle story” in Spain in my life.
