Medieval towns and villages
As you follow the routes that pass through the Empordà region, here and there you will see belfries, towers, fragments of walls… These are some of the typical elements of the medieval towns and villages dotted among the crops and woodland of the Baix Empordà.
The centuries-old stones of these towns and villages preserve the region’s legacy, bearing witness to a way of life connected to the landscape that has been preserved to the present day.
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Divided between the counties of Empúries and Girona, the area now known as the Baix Empordà saw the growth of towns, villages, castles and religious buildings in the Middle Ages. The power of the church and the social structure, divided into different levels, shaped the appearance of the towns and villages.
“Romanesque architecture is eminently religious, and churches, convents and monasteries are its most outstanding features.” Una passejada pel romànic de l’Empordà (A Journey through the Romanesque of the Empordà), various authors, 2001.
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The Baix Empordà’s medieval heritage is undoubtedly one of its main attractions. The good state of repair of many buildings and monuments and the preservation of the layout of the towns and villages – with narrow winding cobbled streets – make them feel like an open-air museum.
As you travel through these places, you can appreciate the austere beauty of the Romanesque structures and see the contributions from later styles. The silence that reigns here welcomes visitors and invites them to enjoy life without hurrying while they look for signs of the passage of time on façades, columns and porches.
Pals, Peratallada, Palau-sator and Monells are some of the region’s best-known towns and villages, but there are more. You can discover them on foot, by bike or by car. One good option is to follow the medieval towns and villages route by car
