MILITARY ROUTE

The Viscountcy of Cabrera was structured through a network of castles and fortified houses, which served as the seats of political and military power for the medieval nobility. This defensive system was complemented by a number of walled towns and watchtowers.

The oldest structures at the castell de Montsoriu date from the late 10th century, when it was established as a rock castle. During the 12th and 13th centuries, it underwent its first major reconstruction, and the chronicler Bernat Desclot described Montsoriu as «un dels bells i nobles del món». The castle’s present appearance is largely the result of its final major transformation, carried out by Viscount Bernat II de Cabrera in the mid-14th century. This created an impregnable concentric castle with three main areas: the upper enclosure, the highest, oldest and strongest part of Montsoriu; the parade ground, conceived as a true Gothic palace; and the lower enclosure, designed as a lower bailey.