MILITARY ROUTE

The viscountcy of Cabrera articulated itself through a network of castles and fortified houses, which were the seats of politic and military power for the nobility in the Middle Ages. This defensive system was supplemented with a number of walled-in villages and watchtowers.

Montclús Castle was built between the 11th and 12th centuries on top of an earlier structure. In the 14th century it was converted into a palace, and in 1508 the chapel dedicated to Saint Margaret was restored. The castle comprises two distinct enclosures: the lower one, of which perimeter remains are preserved, and the upper one, with well-defined outer walls and a notable cylindrical tower with a sloped base. This upper enclosure has a square layout, shaped by successive modifications, and retains three of its original four walls. Inside, the space is organised around a central courtyard dominated by the main tower, with rooms arranged around it. The north-west tower stands out for its two-storey structure. In the lower enclosure lie the remains of the Chapel of Saint Margaret, with a single nave and semicircular apse. The castle was under the Montseny lineage from the 11th century, and between 1230 and 1263 passed to Guillem de Sesagudes, who adopted the surname Montclús. In 1275 it was transferred to Ramon de Cabrera, and in 1403 it became independent from the Order of the Hospital of Sant Celoni.