Casa Bru

Casa Bru is a fortified medieval manor house in Teià, a small town in the Maresme region a dozen or so kilometers northeast of Barcelona. Also known as Can Fivaller or Can Bru, the building is listed in Catalonia's Inventory of Architectural Heritage and remains privately owned to this day — not a museum, but a living trace of centuries of noble family history in Maresme.

What is this place?

The oldest surviving part of the house is its corner tower, which retains fragments dating back to the pre-Romanesque period. Over the centuries — particularly during the 14th-15th and later the 16th-17th centuries — the property underwent repeated alterations. From the turn of the 17th century it belonged to the Bru family, who in 1612 added a chapel with a Gothic portal next to the tower. In the 18th century the estate passed to the Fivaller family through marriage, and in the 19th century to the Martorell family, who still own it today. For generations, Casa Bru housed the private archive of the Fivaller family; in 2019 the collection was transferred to the National Archive of Catalonia, where it is now available to researchers.

What will you see?

The building follows a square floor plan topped with a four-pitched roof. At the right-hand corner of the front façade rises a square tower crowned with battlements — a feature typical of Catalan fortified residences built to withstand raids and local conflicts. The whole complex is representative of the Catalan "masia" tradition: rural manor houses combining residential, agricultural and defensive functions. The house stands beside the Torrent de Casa Bru stream, surrounded by the farmland and hillside vineyards characteristic of Maresme as the land slopes down toward the sea.

How to get there?

Teià sits inland, just behind the coastal towns of El Masnou and Premià de Mar, both served by the Rodalies R1 suburban rail line from Barcelona (Barcelona-Sants or Passeig de Gràcia stations, roughly 30-35 minutes). From either station you'll need a local bus or taxi to reach Teià itself, a few kilometers uphill. By car, the most convenient route is the C-32 motorway, exiting at Alella or Premià de Mar and continuing on local roads into Teià.

When to visit?

Casa Bru is privately owned, so the interior is generally not accessible without prior arrangement with the owners or on the occasional open day tied to local heritage events. The building is best appreciated from the outside, ideally in spring or early autumn, when the surrounding hills are covered in the vineyards of the Alella wine region and the weather is comfortable for walking. Summers in Maresme can be hot and the coast crowded, making Teià a quieter alternative away from the beach rush.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit the inside of Casa Bru? Not as a rule — it is the private residence of the Martorell family. The interior can only be seen during occasional heritage events or by prior arrangement with the owners.

Where does the name Casa Bru come from? From the Bru family, owners of the estate from the turn of the 17th century, who funded the chapel next to the tower in 1612. The building's history is also tied to the Fivaller and Martorell families, hence the alternative name Can Fivaller.

What is notable about the tower? The square corner tower crowned with battlements is the oldest part of the whole complex — its lower sections preserve remnants that predate the main body of the house.

What else is worth seeing nearby? Teià sits at the heart of the DO Alella wine region, so a visit pairs well with tasting local wines and strolling through the coastal towns of Maresme, such as El Masnou and Premià de Mar, just a few kilometers away.