A Real Fortress
- The Hall of the Coats of Arms once was the main entrance. In honour to its name, this hall is decorated by the so called "speaking coats". Being an exclusive characteristic of the Catalan people, the drawings of the coats of arms represent the name of the family.
- The place, that initially had been the stable, later was transformed into a hall appointed to exhibit the weapons. In the present time some authentic weapons are preserved and others are replicas; there is also a funeral gravestone of Rocabruna and a piece of furniture of the XVII century.
- The last outbuilding to visit is the dungeon. In this little prison the delinquents were confined -tied to a burden of 20 kg of weight and with a ring around the neck - before receiving their sentence. Once judged, and depending on the seriousness of their crime, they were sent either as slaves to the galleys that were used by the Count of Barcelona to conquest the Mediterranean, or they were killed at Montsonís, using the "right to the force" the noblemen had.
Now the visitors do not run this risk. From the dungeons they go to the shop, where the paintings of the winners of the fast-painting contest are on exhibition; and from there, there is nothing better than, impregnated with history, to walk over the town of Montsonís, or enjoy the delightful typical gastronomy of the region. |
The town of Montsonís was very important during the Medieval Age, due to its geographical location on the frontier with the Arab world. Already during that time, there were many visitors; pilgrims on the way to Santiago that, tired after a long journey, asked for lodging. They were allowed to sleep in one of the outbuildings of the castle, the room of the pilgrim; though by security reasons, they were locked up to avoid that, during the night, they could walk carelessly over the outbuildings of the fortress. Now, the visitors are not locked up; with the guided visits offered by Castells de Lleida, S.L, one can walk over the outbuildings of the Castle to know their history.
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The current aspect of the castle is the result of the renovations and reconstructions made during centuries by the Lords of Montsonís
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