The Viscounty of Cabrera was a very important feudal lordship that formed part of the Catalano-Aragonese Crown.

It stretched from the Montseny, Guilleries and Collsacabra woodland mountains to the Mediterranean Sea and its centre was located in the present-day region of La Selva. Its lords led lives worthy of the novels of chivalry. One such case is Viscount Bernat II of Cabrera, who in the 14th century became the principal advisor and admiral to King Pere el Cerimoniós (Peter IV the Ceremonious), and who turned Montsoriu Castle, the seat of power of the line, into an impregnable Gothic fortress.

The territory of the viscounty had its own form of government, the centre of which was based in the walled town of Hostalric. The geostrategic context of the town of Hostalric was a very important factor in its establishment and growth as the capital of the viscounty. The town began to stand out from the 13th century and, during the 14th century, consolidated and built on its position of pre-eminence as the capital of the viscounty. Many of the most important administrative elements of the territory belonging to the Cabrera family, along with its main court, were located in the town. Certain agents of power at the service of the viscounts played a crucial role in ensuring the governability of the territory. One of the most important figures in this respect was the notary public of Hostalric Pere de Santantoni, who was also a judge and the attorney general of the entire viscounty in the 14th century.

The Viscounty of Cabrera boasted other distinguished characters, such as Viscountess Ermessenda of Montsoriu, founder of Breda Monastery in the 11th century, or the cosmographer and merchant Jaume Ferrer of Blanes, who participated in the drawing up of the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas. Today, we can still visit several places and monuments that transport us back to the age of the viscounty and its cast of players: lofty castles, solitary hermitages, protective walls, silent monasteries, watchtowers… A heritage legacy that allows us to relive the Middle Ages while enjoying the many activities and services available today.

Welcome to the viscounty of Cabrera!