Uncategorized

On the weekend of September 27 and 28, Hostalric 1810, returns an immersive weekend that will transport us back to the 19th century with a spectacular historical reenactment set in the Napoleonic era. For two days, the Fortress of Hostalric will become a real Napoleonic camp from 1810, with soldiers, scenes of daily life, and a grand battle in the castle moat. Historical context The year is 1810. The fortress of Hostalric is under siege by French troops. General Duhesme, after nine days of bombardments, is preparing to strike the final blow and conquer the stronghold. In this critical situation, Coronel Estrada is preparing to save the remaining troops inside the fortress. He has a risky plan: to lead around 700 men out and reach Vic without being discovered. To succeed, he will rely on the help of about a hundred wounded soldiers and “miquelets”, who will try to hold off the French as long as possible to buy time. Visit the Napoleonic camp With your ticket you will have access to the historical reenactment camp set up in the Fortress of Hostalric and explore it at your own pace. During your visit, you’ll be able tointeract with the soldiers and experience their daily life firt-hand: Opening hours Rates Book your ticket in advance in the buttom “book your visit”! Show “The Battle: Attack on the Fortress” On Saturday, September 27 at 7pm, the moat of the Fortess of Hostalric will host a thrilling battle between two opposing sides: the French troops and the defenders of the fortress. A historical reenactment spectacle that will take you back to the 19th century! Free activity — no reservation required! Participating associations Live history first-hand! We look forward to seeing you at Hostalric 1810!

It is known that in the 12th century, a castle stood atop a basalt hill, controlling the route between Girona and Barcelona along the royal road. This castle became the nucleus around which the village developed, founded by Viscount Guerau VI of Cabrera in 1243. This village grew under the protection of its walls and the castle, eventually becoming the administrative capital of the Cabrera viscounty, a strategic point for territorial control and regional communications. To reach the castle from the village, one had to pass through three gates, each with its own defensive structures. Both the village and the castle endured sieges and renovations due to various conflicts, but it was during the War of Succession that the need to adapt to new forms of warfare led to the transformations of the medieval castle into a bastioned fortress. Between 1712 and 1713, in the context of the War of Succession, the first works on the modern fortress began under the design of engineer Francisco de Santa Cruz, consolidating its role as a military stronghold in the 18th century. However, it was between 1794 and 1795, during the Great War, that the construction was completed, making the fortress operational.

The castle of Hostalric was built on an ancient volcano that dates back around 2 million years. Specifically, it is located on remnants of volcanic lava and other materials expelled during eruptions. Forming a circle around it. Today, one can still see the remains of a lava flows from gentle eruption, as well as fragments thrown into the air during a stronger, more explosive eruption. The landscape visible from the fortress, with its mountains and valleys, is related to this volcano. At the main bastion, or the Bastion of Sant Francesc de Pàdua, you can clearly see the interior of this volcanic view. The magma that formed these volcanic rocks had a special composition, with specific characteristics that led to the formation of basalt, the rock visible at this point. The presence of underground basalt tells us that, a long time ago, this area had active volcanoes. These volcanic rocks, known as igneousbecause they originate from volcanic fire, form when lava reaches the surface, cools down and solidifies. Basalt is a tough and durable rock that provides a stable base, resistant to erosion and potential attacks, perfect for building defensive fortifications like the Castle of Hostalric. The qualities of basalt have helped the castle of Hostalric withstand the passage of time and reach us today as a remarkable monumental complex. The medieval quarter also has basaltic roots, as the houses are built upon ancient rocks and volcanic materials.

Hostalric, the government of a medieval territory The Viscounty of Cabrera was a very important feudal lordship that was part of the territories of the Catalan-Aragonese Crown. It extended from the forested mountains of Montseny, the Guilleries and the Collsacabra to the Mediterranean Sea, with the center located in the current region of La Selva. The territory of the viscounty had its own forms of government, centralized in the walled town of Hostalric. The geostrategic context of the town of Hostalric greatly favored its rise as the Viscounty’s capital. The town began to stand out from the 13th century and, during the following century, it consolidated and increased this pre-eminent position in terms of Viscount capital. The population will centralize a large part of the high administration and main judicial court of the Cabrera family territory. The figure of the agents of power at the service of the Viscounts, who made effective the governance of the territory, will be key. There was the notary public, the clerk’s office and the judicial court, and the attorney general and the clerk resided there. For example, the notary of Hostalric Pere de Santantoni stood out, who was notary public, ordinary judge and attorney general of the entire viscounty in the 14th century. It also housed a hospital, several hostels and even a small Jewish community. With the aim of enhancing the tangible and intangible heritage of the Viscounty of Cabrera, the Selva County Council has created the cultural tourism product La Ruta dels Cabrera. It is structured in 4 thematic routes (the military, the administrative, the religious and the commercial), with Hostalric being the main protagonist of the administrative route. Take a virtual tour of the viscounty’s heritage. The heritage The medieval wall Hostalric appears in documentation in 1106 as Ostalrico or Quota. However, we do not know if at that time the town already had a wall. In the following century, King Jaume I the Conqueror granted Viscount Guerau V de Cabrera the license to hold a market in the town and between the years 1242 and 1243 the settlement charter of Hostalric was signed. Therefore, the defensive structure that we still see today very possibly originated between the 13th and 14th centuries. Six hundred linear meters of fortified walls with eight towers are preserved, in addition to the Portal de les Hortes (the only portal of the wall preserved in its original state), the Portal de Barcelona (reconstructed) and outside the wall the Torre dels Frares and the Tower of the Convent. The Tower of the Friars It is called so because in the building in front, where the Town Hall is today, there used to be the convent of the minimal friars of the order of Sant Francesc de Paula. The tower was built in the 13th century and is the highest defensive element in the town of Hostalric, with a height of thirty-three meters. It has three floors and the original access was on the first floor, without a fixed staircase, to have a better defense. The highest part was crowned by a magnificent corridor matacán of which there are still remains, although during the French War (1810) due to a bombardment, a good part of the upper part of the tower collapsed. Currently the three floors can be visited and host a permanent exhibition on medieval Hostalric and the French war. To facilitate the ascent, you will find an elevator to reach the viewpoint on the terrace. The Castle There is evidence that in 1145 there was already a castle on top of the Hostalric hill, linked from the beginning to the Viscount Cabrera family. The castle was located on the central section of the royal road between Barcelona and Girona, and therefore had great strategic value. From the 17th century and especially during the 18th century, the ancient medieval castle was completely altered with major architectural reforms to adapt it to the powerful development of gunpowder artillery. So, today few vestiges of the medieval castle remain visible, such as the north and south facades of the main building, a cistern from this period inside, as well as other minor architectural elements. The Relliguer cave The Relliguer cave is an underground gallery excavated in the sandstone at the base of the castle. The entrance is in the medieval enclosure, in a sector very close to one of its most important accesses (Barcelona portal) and also to the fortified path of medieval origin that connects the town with the fortress (ancient castle). It is a hypogeum of twenty-six meters of descending route that leads to a small room located six meters deep. It could be a hypogeum used as a shelter and hiding place in times of danger or a gallery related to the fortification of the hill.