Castell de Quermançó - Castles on Waymarking.com

The castle of Quermançó has always been an excellent defensive fort where remains of Iberian and Roman times have been found.

It was the property of the Count of Empúries. The first documented evidence dates from 1078 when the castle of Quermançó appears in the last will of Ponç I. This Empurian count had previously moved the diplomatic archives of the county to the castle for security reasons.

Dalmau Berenguer of Quermançó, possible grandson of Ponç I. Count of Empúries, started the dynasty of the viscounts of Rocabertí.

In 1085 Hug II of Empúries and Guislabert II of Rosselló signed an agreement where they mention the castro Karmanzono.

In 1128 the Empuritan count Ponç Hug II was attacked, defeated, and imprisoned by Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona in the castle of Quermançó. Ten years later war started again between Empúries and Barcelona but then, Ramon Berenguer IV defeated him again and they sealed peace on the demolition of the castle. However, in 1154 evidence of the castro Carmazone comes to light again.

During the crusades against Catalonia in 1288, the castle was attacked and taken by the French crusaders of King Philip, after several sieges. The defenders, as well as the Empuritan count, were loyal to King Pere II.

Three years later the French took the castle for the second time plundering and partly destroying it. Despite the castle's poor condition, King Jaume II ordered a garrison of 12 men to be established there in 1292.

It also witnessed heavy fights during the Catalan Civil War and was occupied in 1472 by troops loyal to Joan II.

Later on the Kingdom of Aragon became rulers of the county of Empúries and the castle, which from then on depended on the Duke of Cardona, now also Count of Empúries. It remained in ruins until the War of Independence. Due to its strategic position (near the coastline but protected from the cannons of the British navy) it was rebuilt in 1808 by Napoleonic troops and used for the storage of weapons and ammunition. However in the French retreat -1814 Marshal Suchet had it blown up, and it has remained this way until the present day.

The castle as a whole remains quite intact, with some quite modern but somewhat medieval ruins everywhere. The walls are more primitive in the north-east where there is a very thick wall about 4 feet long and 3 tall it is a very open angle with yet another canvas to the east. Towards the west, a large rectangular hall with a west wall loophole. At some point in time, this room must have served as a chapel due to the fact that the remains of a small modern belfry have been found. The chapel of St. Peter Quermançó is documented in the last quarter of the thirteenth century.
Towards the north and north-west, there are two 50 meter towers.

On this hill are the remains of different periods; a lot of medieval and modern pottery has been found. Some findings have shown that the site was already occupied in Roman times and probably already in pre-Roman times.

Accessibility: Full access Condition: Partly ruined Admission Charge?: no Website: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/03/2014 manu luq visited it