Castell de Peralta

Castell de Peralta is the historic site of a former stronghold in Renau, a small municipality in the Tarragonès region of Catalonia. No walls or towers survive above ground today, but the site still carries traces of its medieval past and appeals to travelers looking for quieter, lesser-known corners of the countryside behind Tarragona.

Where exactly is Castell de Peralta located?

The site sits right next to Renau, a tiny municipality in the Tarragonès district, a short drive from the city of Tarragona. The old settlement of Peralta, which gave the castle its name, borders Renau directly — today the area is entirely depopulated, with no permanent residents left.

Who built the castle and who controlled it?

The fortification at Peralta was raised by the Montoliu family sometime between the 12th and 13th centuries. Bertran de Montoliu was the first lord to hold Peralta as his exclusive domain, and his descendants kept control of the territory for generations afterward. The castle acted as the seat of local feudal authority, overseeing the surrounding land and the settlement itself.

How did ownership of Peralta change over the centuries?

In 1391, King Joan I handed the higher jurisdiction over Peralta to Archbishop Ennec de Vallterra, cutting into the independence the Montoliu lords had held until then. Even so, the family kept exercising local lordship until 1477, when Joan Gabriel de Montoliu bequeathed Peralta and its territory to the monastery of Santes Creus. That decision triggered a legal dispute over rights to the place, one that dragged on until the early 1480s. Rulings issued by Prince Enric, viceroy of Catalonia between 1481 and 1482, finally awarded lordship over the castle and the settlement to the monastery. From that point on, Santes Creus held authority over Peralta until monastic lordship was abolished in the 19th century.

What remains of the castle today?

Nothing of the defensive structure itself survives above ground — its walls and towers have vanished from the landscape entirely. What does remain is the moat that once encircled the fortification, and it stands today as the main physical trace of the old castle. The former settlement of Peralta has been completely unpopulated since the 1970s, giving the site the feel of a quiet, abandoned corner of rural Catalonia.

Why is this site worth a visit?

Castell de Peralta suits travelers interested in local history and the traces of medieval settlement in Tarragonès rather than anyone hoping for dramatic architecture — there simply isn't any left standing. The real draw is context: the chance to trace the fate of a single piece of land as it passed from a feudal family through a legal dispute to a monastery, and finally into total depopulation. It works well as an add-on to a visit to Renau itself and nearby Tarragonès villages for travelers who value history over postcard views.

Frequently asked questions

Can you still see the castle ruins on site? No — the walls and towers have not survived. The only visible remnant is the moat that once surrounded the fortification.

Who ruled Peralta in the Middle Ages? From the 12th–13th century onward, the territory belonged to the Montoliu family, starting with Bertran de Montoliu. In 1391 the Archbishop Ennec de Vallterra took over part of the jurisdiction, and in 1477 Joan Gabriel de Montoliu handed Peralta to the monastery of Santes Creus.

Does anyone live in Peralta today? No. The settlement has been completely depopulated since the 1970s.

How far is it from Renau? The site borders the municipality of Renau directly, in the Tarragonès district, close to the city of Tarragona.