Quermançó Castle
Encyclopedia
The Quermançó Castle is located about 2km north of Vilajuïga
situated on top of a remote hill and directly accessible only on foot from a small road that turns off from the N-260
.
The history of the castle dates back to 1078 and was owned by Counts in the Empúries
region. In 1472, during the Catalan Civil War, the castle was occupied by forces loyal to Joan II. In 1808, the castle was captured by Napoleonic troops, occupied for several years, and was even fortified as a keep for armaments. Despite the additional fortifications, an explosion ordered by Marshal Suchet during the French withdrawal in 1814 left the castle in ruins, which have degraded further in to what is now the current state of the castle.
The surrealist painter, Salvador Dalí
had a deep affection for the castle and was very familiar with it as it is positioned on the road nearly halfway between his home town of Figueres
and his coastal home in Cadaqués
. He had several ideas for the castle including: creating a natural pipe organ in the castle which would have been "played" by the tramuntana wind that constantly blows in the area, another was to house a rhinoceros in the basement purely for tourists to come and view, and the other was to acquire the ruins of the castle and place them in the residence of his wife, Gala
.
Moderate work has been performed on the castle to maintain its current state, but visitors will note that it is on privately owned land. Also of note is that the interior has been locked off to the public in order to thwart vandals, so only the exterior is viewable to public visitors.
Vilajuïga
Vilajuïga is a municipality in the comarca of Alt Empordà, Girona, Catalonia, Spain.Vilajuïga's area is home to a group of Megalithic dolmens. Starting from the 10th century AD it was a possession of the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes. In the nearby is also the Quermançó Castle, documented from...
situated on top of a remote hill and directly accessible only on foot from a small road that turns off from the N-260
N-260
The N-260, also known as Eje Pirenaico , is the northernmost east-west national road in Spain.In contrast to the majority of Spanish national roads, which were specially constructed during the mid-20th century, the path for this highway was established at 80's decade over several previously...
.
The history of the castle dates back to 1078 and was owned by Counts in the Empúries
Empúries
Empúries , formerly known by its Spanish name Ampurias , was a town on the Mediterranean coast of the Catalan comarca of Alt Empordà in Catalonia, Spain. It was founded in 575 BC by Greek colonists from Phocaea with the name of Ἐμπόριον...
region. In 1472, during the Catalan Civil War, the castle was occupied by forces loyal to Joan II. In 1808, the castle was captured by Napoleonic troops, occupied for several years, and was even fortified as a keep for armaments. Despite the additional fortifications, an explosion ordered by Marshal Suchet during the French withdrawal in 1814 left the castle in ruins, which have degraded further in to what is now the current state of the castle.
The surrealist painter, Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
had a deep affection for the castle and was very familiar with it as it is positioned on the road nearly halfway between his home town of Figueres
Figueres
Figueres is the capital of the comarca of Alt Empordà, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.The town is the birthplace of artist Salvador Dalí, and houses the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí, a large museum designed by Dalí himself which attracts many visitors...
and his coastal home in Cadaqués
Cadaqués
Cadaqués is a town in the Alt Empordà comarca, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It is on a bay in the middle of the Cap de Creus peninsula, near Cap de Creus cape, on the Costa Brava of the Mediterranean...
. He had several ideas for the castle including: creating a natural pipe organ in the castle which would have been "played" by the tramuntana wind that constantly blows in the area, another was to house a rhinoceros in the basement purely for tourists to come and view, and the other was to acquire the ruins of the castle and place them in the residence of his wife, Gala
Gala Dalí
Gala Dalí , usually known simply as Gala, was the wife of first Paul Éluard, then Salvador Dalí, and an inspiration for them and many other writers and artists.- Early years :...
.
Moderate work has been performed on the castle to maintain its current state, but visitors will note that it is on privately owned land. Also of note is that the interior has been locked off to the public in order to thwart vandals, so only the exterior is viewable to public visitors.