Caldes Castle

MILITARY ROUTE

The viscountcy of Cabrera shared a border with lands controlled by other feudal lords (Cardona, Montcada, Cruïlles, the Church, etc.) with whom neighbourly relations were established, which depending on the era and circumstances, could be better or worse.

Caldes Castle was built upon the site of ancient Roman baths in the middle of the 12th century. Three circular towers have been preserved, together with a section of the wall, two heavily modified buildings and possibly the Sant Grau hermitage. During the 18th century, its interior was divided into a number of dwellings, and the following century most of these partitions were knocked down to house the old bottling plant of Aigua Imperial. The castle buildings housed the Caldes healthcare centre up until 2009, and nowadays they are home to a heritage research and interpretation centre. On the outskirts of the town, there is another castle which, according to the legend that gives the town its name, was the abode of a feudal lady popularly called “mala vella” (“nasty crone”).