The Region

The so called Tarragonès is one of the three subregions in which the Camp de Tarragona was divided when the regional division was done in 1936. It is located on the coast, in its meridional area, between the Baix Penedès, at northeast and the Baix Camp at south.

Altafulla belongs to the region of the Tarragonès whose frame is the natural and historical region of Tarragona. Its limits are as follows: in the north we find the small towns of La Nou de Gaià and La Pobla de Montornès. In the West two other small towns : Torredembarra and La Riera de Gaià. In the south one can find a beautiful beach that goes from Cap Gros up to La Roca de Gaià. Altafulla is located on a hill that sweetly leans towards the sea. On top of the hill the church is to be found.

History

Altafulla does not appear till the Middle Age, when the village grows by the Montserrat castle which is mentioned in documents along the XI and XII centuries. Nevertheless in the bounds of its municipality there are many remains of four villages of rich inhabitants of Tarraco as well as three quarrels. The village that has been more excavated and studied is the so called “Vila dels Munts”, that forms part together with Tarraco of what it has been qualified as Humanity Wealth. With respect to the quarrels, the most important is the quarrel of “EL Mèdol” which supplied all big stones to build up the walls of Tarraco as well as other important constructions, like, for instance, the actual cathedral. Much probably the first church of Altafulla was founded between 1154 and 1195, due to the fact that the population out of the castle begins to be big enough.

The “Vila Closa” is the medieval and XVIII century historical monuments which can be considered the nucleus of Altafulla, closed by the walls, from which there are two circular towers plus two big entrances, still standing. The historical sites of the XVIII century is pretty singular and it is mainly formed by the houses of the prosperous merchants of the town at that time.

Entorn i Activitats

The Castle of Montserrat of the Castle of Tamarit

It has been well preserved as it was reconstructed according to some drafts of the XV century. Other architectonical elements of the castle as a group, confer to the castle the profile of a fortress.

The parochial church

It was devoted to Saint Martin, patron saint of the town.

It was built up between 1701 and 1705, made in neoclassical style and it keeps a baroque altarpiece from 1745.

The Castle of Tamarit

The castle is located in an small hill by the sea. It was built up in the XI century and belonged to the Barcelona County, that ascribed it to the Claramunt family. This family kept it till the XIII century. One century after it was offered to the Archbishop of Tarragona who kept it till the XIX century although he shared the property with the Montserrat family. In 1916 the archbishop of Tarragona sold it to the British magnate Charles Deering who restaured it. Actually, it is a private propriety.

The castle preserve some elements from the Romanesque and the Gothic times. The walls surrounding the premises were however, built up during the XVI and XVII century.

The Castle of Ferran

This is a castle that was converted into a residential palace during the XVII century. Its origin comes probably from the XI century when it only was a watch tower of the Tamarit castle. There are documents talking about it from 1197. The castle is a gothic – renaissance building which has been modified many times in different times. There is an interesting angular tower.

Promenade of the “Botigues de Mar” (Houses by the sea)

In the XVIII century, the “Botigues de Mar” were built up; they were warehouses of one floor, where the merchants and the fishers use to keep their tools and products. Sometimes, wines and spirits and other goods like cocoa and dye that had been previously imported from abroad.

Roman Villa from “Els Munts”

In time of the Roman Emperor Claudius (Ist. Century after C.) till the beginning of the V century, there was a Roman Villa in the site of “Els Munts”. Most of the valuable materials that were found in this archeological site were transferred to the Archeological Museum of Tarragona.