Casal dels Josa

Casal dels Josa is a Gothic townhouse inside the walled old town of Montblanc, in Catalonia's Conca de Barberà region, now home to the Montblanc and District Museum-Archive. The building stands at Carrer Josa 6, right next to the Santa Maria la Major church, one of the town's most significant landmarks.

What will you see at Casal dels Josa?

The house rises across three levels: ground floor, first floor and attic. Its oldest surviving elements date back to the 13th century and show clear Gothic features — the west-facing facade still keeps its original pointed-arch doorway. Inside, three large stone arcades remain among the most valuable parts of the whole building, a direct trace of its medieval origins.

The property underwent a major renovation in the 18th century, though, and the main facade carries the date 1738 marking that phase of work. That makes Casal dels Josa a layered building in the most literal sense: a Gothic skeleton behind a later, more classical face.

What is the history behind the building?

The house first belonged to the Vilafranca family. During the first third of the 18th century it passed to the noble Josa family, who settled in Montblanc and gave the building its present name. The last member of that line, Joan de Josa, died without heirs in 1798, closing the Josa family's chapter in the house's history.

Later on the building was also known as Cal Portuguès, a name linked to the Alfonso Andreu family, its last private owners before it was handed over for public use — it was this family that ceded the house to become a museum.

How do you get there, and when should you visit?

Casal dels Josa sits inside Montblanc's medieval walls, in the historic heart of town, and is easiest to reach on foot, walking the old-town lanes from Plaça Major toward the Santa Maria church. Montblanc itself lies in the Conca de Barberà, well connected to Tarragona and Lleida, making it an easy stop by car or by train.

Spring and autumn are the best times to visit, when Catalonia's temperatures are mild and walking the town walls and narrow medieval streets is most comfortable. Summers can run hot, but Montblanc also hosts open-air cultural events and historical re-enactments tied to its medieval past, with Casal dels Josa often part of that story.

What is the Museum-Archive?

The institution housed in the building was founded in 1958, and the townhouse itself was restored in 1978 specifically to serve as the regional museum (Museu Comarcal). Its exhibition and archive document the history of Montblanc and the wider Conca de Barberà, from the medieval period through the era of noble families like the Josa and into more recent times.

The building's own architecture — its surviving Gothic arcades paired with a later, more classical facade — effectively becomes part of the exhibition itself: visitors take in both the museum pieces and the historic fabric of the town at the same time.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside Casal dels Josa? Yes, the building operates as the regional museum, so its interior — including the stone arcades — is open to visitors as part of the exhibition.

Where does the name Casal dels Josa come from? From the noble Josa family, who took over the house in the first third of the 18th century and held it until 1798, when its last descendant died without heirs.

Is the building Gothic or Baroque? Both styles coexist — the core structure and the west-facade doorway have 13th-century Gothic roots, while the main facade with the 1738 date reflects the 18th-century renovation.

What else is worth seeing nearby? Casal dels Josa stands right beside the Santa Maria la Major church and inside Montblanc's town walls, so it fits naturally into a walk through the historic centre.