Castles of Spain: Castellvell in Solsona, Catalonia, Pyrenees

Castellvell (Castellvell de Solsona) is a castle located on top of a hill of 838 meters with the same name in the municipality of Olius in the Solsona district, three kilometers from the city of Solsona (Lleida, Catalonia).

The building dates back to the 11th century. This is one of the most important military fortifications and watchtowers in the north-west of the city of Solsona. This architectural monument was declared a cultural object of national importance in Catalonia.

The construction of the castle began on the order of Count Sunyer d’Urgell in 957. In 973, Earl Borrell II of Barcelona strengthened it as a military citadel to ensure the defense of the area. In the 11th century, Lord of Solsona Ecard Miró continued to strengthen the castle. The construction was completed (after his death) by the descendants Bernat and Ramon de Tarroja in 1217. The construction was completed when the heir of the Tarroch family, Agnes, married the viscount of Cardona, Ramon Folc IV de Cardona (1180-23 August 1241).

From the Romanesque period, a three-apse and west facing church remained in the complex, which corresponds to the parish church of Salsona San Miquel de Castellvell.

In the castle there is also a sample of the Romanesque chapel, but in the XV century the chapel was rebuilt in the Gothic style.

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The castle of Lordat (le château de Lordat) is one of the oldest and largest feudal castles in the county of Foix

The castle of Lordat (le château de Lordat), located in the municipality of Lordat (Ariège department) is one of the oldest and largest feudal castles in the county of Foix. This is a classic example of Pyrenean medieval military architecture.

At the foot of the castle lies the village of Lordat (altitude about 900 m above sea level) – it borders the canton (administrative-territorial unit in the district, covering several communes) Les Cabannes.

The number of inhabitants of the village in 2017 was 45 people. There are 17 residential houses, 28 residences and the complete absence of abandoned or empty houses in the village.

The castle is one of the most interesting places in Ariège due to its strategic location and width of the walls. The northern wall is a continuation of the cliff, at a height of 50 m. The walls of the main four-story tower are the thickest compared to the other walls of the castle.

The construction of the castle probably dates from the 9th-10th centuries. The first mention of the castle was made in 1034 – when Bernard, Count of Carcassonne, presented it to his son Roger, the first Count of Foix. Initially, the county of Foix was a senoria (a collection of land plots with land ownership, collection of duties, and tax payments) in the county of Carcassonne.

Roger died childless around 1064, after which the castle passed to the third of his brother’s sons, Bernard I Roger, Pierre Bernard.

It is known that in 1244 the castle was captured by the Cathars during the Crusade. At the end of the XIII century, the castle passed into the hands of the King of Aragon, who demanded its destruction. The castle fell into ruins, but the entrance, protected by a tower, retained its original appearance.

On September 8, 1923, the castle was included in the list of historical monuments of France.

After a long renovation, on June 4, 2016, the castle was opened to the public.

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