Can Wertheim

Can Wertheim is a historic masia — a traditional Catalan country house — in Teià, a small town on the Maresme coast northeast of Barcelona. The building is also known locally as Can Freixa, Manso Valls, and Torre dels Gegants, meaning the Tower of Giants.

Where does the name Can Wertheim come from?

The estate's ownership changed hands repeatedly over the centuries. It began under the Valls family, later passing to the Tamarit family and then to the Freixa family. Its current name, however, comes from a later owner: Charles Wallin, who owned the Wertheim sewing machine factory and acquired the property, leaving his brand's name permanently attached to it. That is why the house today carries two parallel identities — the older Catalan names (Can Freixa, Manso Valls) and the newer one tied to the industrialist (Can Wertheim).

What will you see at the house?

The building has a compact, square floor plan topped by a four-sided roof, crowned by a central lantern tower finished with a pyramidal cap. Two smaller corner turrets sit at cornice level on either side, giving the whole structure a distinctive, almost castle-like silhouette that stands out from a distance against the surrounding hills.

The real highlight, though, is the main doorway. Above the entrance sits a carved stone coat of arms held up by two giant figures — the detail that earned the house its popular nickname, Torre dels Gegants, the Tower of Giants. This nickname is used almost as often as Can Wertheim itself, and the portal's stone carving is the single most photographed feature of the property.

What happened here during the Spanish Civil War?

Can Wertheim has its own chapter in 20th-century Spanish history. Between 1938 and January 1939, in the final months of the Spanish Civil War, the house served as the headquarters of a Catalan-Swedish children's colony, sponsored by the Swedish Embassy. It was one of several such refuges set up across Catalonia at the time to shelter children evacuated from combat zones — an episode still remembered locally as a mark of international solidarity during a difficult period.

How do you get to Teià?

Teià sits in the Maresme comarca on the Costa del Maresme, a short distance from the sea and roughly a twenty-minute to half-hour drive from central Barcelona. Driving is the most convenient option, via the C-32 motorway. Alternatively, you can take a train to one of the neighboring coastal Maresme towns, such as El Masnou or Vilassar de Mar, and continue from there by local transport or taxi — Teià itself sits slightly inland, on the slopes separating the coastal strip from the interior of the region.

When should you visit?

Since Can Wertheim is listed on Teià's local heritage inventory and the surrounding grounds are private, the property is best appreciated from the outside — a stroll along the neighboring streets gives good views of the tower and the giants' portal. Spring and early autumn are the most pleasant times to visit, when the mild Maresme climate makes walking the hillside streets comfortable and the sunlight favorably lights the facade from the road.

Frequently asked questions

What is Can Wertheim? It is a historic Catalan masia in Teià, also known as Can Freixa, Manso Valls, or Torre dels Gegants (Tower of Giants), notable for its tower and carved stone portal.

Where does the name Can Wertheim come from? From Charles Wallin, owner of the Wertheim sewing machine factory, who was one of the estate's later owners.

Why is the building also called Torre dels Gegants? Because of the stone coat of arms above the main entrance, held up by carvings of two giants.

What is Can Wertheim's connection to the Spanish Civil War? Between 1938 and 1939, the house served as the headquarters of a Catalan-Swedish children's colony, supported by the Swedish Embassy.