WHAT TO SEE
Due to the region’s location—it stands at a crossroad between the cities of Tarragona, Barcelona and Lleida—it has enjoyed a strategical advantage and seen its fair share of historical battles. The valley of the Gaià River was, in medieval times, the border between the county of Barcelona and the expanse of Muslim-occupied territory in the Iberian Peninsula, Al’andalus; for that reason there is a host of medieval castles here dating back to the 10th and 11th centuries. Although some of them are in ruins, a few remain worthy of a visit. A good way to see them is to follow the Ruta dels Castells del Gaià, which follows the river and lets you see many fortifications in various states of repair including Santa Perpetua del Gaià, Castell of Santa Coloma and Pinyana Castle, which is to the south of Querol and in better condition; it was declared a site of cultural interest in 1985. Lying to the south-east of the region is Rodonyà Castle: although the interior of this castle was destroyed by a fire in 1809 during the war of El Francès, a new castle was built on top of the original site and used as a feudal residence.
If you head to the town of Montferri, which sits on the left bank of the Gaià river, you can take in the originality of the Santuari de la Mare Déu de Montserrat; the windows and u-shaped catenary arches designed by Josep M. Jujol in 1922 make it a remarkable looking building. Construction was put on hold due to the Spanish Civil War, and it was only completed in 1985 and officially opened in 1999.
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