ARCHITECTURE

Peratallada

WALLS OF PERATALLADA

Peratallada is one of the most notorious fortified villages of Catalonia.The castle and the walls are of great interest in spite of several destructions throughout the centuries. The striking fact about the walls is that, unlike most fortified villages, they can be divided into 3 different parts:

The main walled-enclosure surrounded the castle-palace and the nearby village; nowadays only some fragments on the northern and western sides together with 3 squared-ground plant towers remain intact.

The northern counter-wall also called the Great Barbican was situated in the north of the main walls. Important remains in the northern and western sides are to be found, that's the case of a long and high section of wall with its loopholes. Right in the centre of this segment there's "el Portal de la Verge" or the Virgin's Portal which led to a squared-ground plant tower (only the lowest part of it remains.)

The eastern counter-wall is the worst-preserved one. It stood near the stream. No evidence of a likely junction between the walls that surrounded the castle or even between the Western walls has been found.The eastern counter-wall is the worst-preserved one. It stood near the stream. No evidence of a likely junction between the walls that surrounded the castle or even between the Western walls has been found.

CHURCH OF SANT ESTEVE DE PERATALLADA

This church, which was built in the XIIth. century, belongs to the 3rd. period of Romanesque style with 3 naves and 3 apses respectively. Only the apses, which are semicircular, and the walls that go along the central nave together with those on the northern side remain original. On the contrary, both the vaults and the arches were later restored, It's situated about 200 metres away from the northern entrance to the fortress of Peratallada. On the façade there's the main door fitted in a semicircular arch formed by large voussoirs. Above the door 3 small corbels placed in line. A head of a beast is carved in the mid-corbel. Above the voussoirs we can see a cornice. Both the cornice and the voussoirs reveal the existence of a former portico no longer there. In the bell tower we can distinguish 4 arcadings lying on rectangular pillars. Those 2 orientated on the northern side are higher due to the fact that the roof of the northern nave is shorter than the southern one.

CASTLE OF PERATALLADA

It's believed that this castle is contemporary with the church of Sant Esteve. It must have been the nerve-centre of the stronghold of Peratallada. Different periods and styles define it

.We can basically make a distinction between the fortress and the palace. This fotress was erected on top of a huge, craggy rock. The keep is the most prominent element visible from the castle and from the village. It's situated right in the middle of the very narrow walled- enclosure. A door with voussoirs leads us to its interior, where only the 4 walls remain.

The expanse of the dominions under the rule of this castle was really considerable, as they spread from Begur to les Gavarres. That was possible thanks to the wedding between Guillema de Peratallada and Gilabert de Cruïlles.