The castle of Castelnou was edified in 988 and marks the beginning of the feudality in north Catalonia after the spanish walk.

Castelnou was the military and administrative capital of the Viscountcy of Vallespir . Basing upon great possessions, the Viscounts of Castelnou, direct lords, were the most powerful of Roussillon.
Besieged and took at last once in 1286 by the King of Majorca, it subists on this conflict authentic catapults' bullets, the castle had to be snubbed.

"Witness to a glorious Catalanan past, it remains for the main thing the most archaic example of medieval fortress existing in the Roussillon."
 
 

After the French Revolution of 1789, it was deserted an devasted ... until its repurchase and its restoration in the XIXth century (1897); many architectural pieces are the testimony of this past century.
After a fire in 1981, it was repurchased and restored by the company who manages it now and have given to it a new splendour.
The restaurant, "the Viscount", in the castle suggests a "woman cooking, light and full of flavour, soil produce holding a place of honour, in an authentic medieval setting.

Today, the Castle close up real treasures of culture and knowledge.
Permanent exhibitions of armours, medieval costumes, archers.

Allong the rooms you'll contemplate the reconstitution's of feudal's life.
As well to discover many showings, patchworks quilts and sculptures and a splendid mediterranean park offering almost sixty different vegetable kinds.
 

But the castle of Castelnou is as well a wine-growing property; the vineyard has been changed and diversified to procure a great quality product. The rosé wine and many red wines with A.O.C. (guaranteed vintage) were grown in dak boles are still a very limited capacity and you'll find the exclusive of all the vintages only in the Castle.

The particularity of the soil comes of the vineyard is based upon the same schist which served of construction materials of the castle giving to it all its character.
(some informations come from the guide :
CASTELNOU, from Pierre Ponsich).

 
SITE MAP | Email : contact@pyreneesroussillon.com