Castell de Montcortès

Castell de Montcortès is a medieval castle-palace overlooking the tiny village of Montcortès, part of the municipality of Els Plans de Sió, in the La Segarra region of Lleida province, Catalonia. It sits on a low rise east of the village of L'Aranyó and has shaped the skyline of this part of Segarra for centuries.

What is the history behind the castle?

The earliest written record dates to 1095, when the knight Guillem Isarn de Trevics named the castle in his will, leaving it to his unborn child. Ownership shifted several times over the following centuries: by 1306 the lord of the place was Berenguer d'Anglesola, and in 1381 the castle passed to the Llompard family — Bernat Berenguer de Llompard later financed the convent of Santa Clara in Cervera.

For reasons that remain unclear, the estate eventually came into the hands of the Sacirera family. It was Joan Sacirera who, at the end of the 15th century, commissioned the Renaissance building that still dominates the village today and gives the castle its present appearance. In the 16th century the property belonged to the Alta-riba family, then passed by marriage to the Marc and later the Moixó families, who were named barons of Montcortès in the 17th century.

What will you see there?

The original structure was built in the 11th century as a standard defensive castle, but the late-15th-century rebuild is what defines the site today: a stark stone Renaissance facade rising out of the older fortified walls. The castle sits on private grounds, so the best way to experience it is from outside — walking the small streets of Montcortès, from where both the older defensive walls and the later palace wing are clearly visible.

It's worth pairing the visit with a short walk around the area. The Els Plans de Sió district is dotted with several similar watch-castles scattered across the hills of Segarra, and the local trail "Ruta dels castells i llegendes dels Plans de Sió" links several of them together, weaving in local legends along the way.

How do you get there?

Montcortès lies within the municipality of Els Plans de Sió, in Lleida province. Driving is by far the easiest option, via the local Segarra roads from Cervera or Tàrrega — both towns have good connections to the AP-2 motorway and the N-II road. The village itself is tiny, and the castle is visible from the approach road well before you arrive. There's no regular public transport serving the area, so a car is essentially the only practical way in.

When is the best time to visit?

Spring (April–June) and early autumn (September–October) are the most comfortable seasons, with mild temperatures and the Segarra landscape — rolling grain fields and low hills — at its most photogenic. Midsummer days can get quite hot inland, which makes longer walks between nearby castles less pleasant.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside the castle? No — the building stands on private property, so visits are limited to viewing it from outside, along the road and streets of the village.

How is this different from Lake Montcortès in Pallars Sobirà? They're two entirely separate places that happen to share a name. The lake of Montcortès lies in Pallars Sobirà, in the Pyrenees, while this castle is in Els Plans de Sió, in the La Segarra region, roughly a hundred kilometers to the south.

How long should you plan for a visit? Viewing the castle from outside takes about 20–30 minutes; add a short walk through the village and surrounding hills and you can easily spend 1–2 hours.

Are there other castles worth visiting nearby? Yes — the Els Plans de Sió area and neighboring Segarra have several similar hilltop castles, which can be combined into a single driving route along the "Ruta dels castells i llegendes" trail.