castell d'Espasens

Castell d'Espasens is a medieval stronghold in the hamlet of Espasens, part of the municipality of Fontcoberta, in the Pla de l'Estany comarca, Girona province. It sits on a low rise at roughly 181 metres above sea level, right next to the church of Santa Caterina d'Espasens, forming one of the more interesting heritage stops in this quiet part of Catalonia.

Where exactly is the castle located?

Espasens is a small hamlet within Fontcoberta, a few kilometres from the town centre. The surroundings are rural through and through — farmland, gentle hills, and scattered farmhouses. The castle occupies one of these low hills, a position that once let its occupants keep watch over the surrounding road and fields.

Where did the castle and the Espasens family come from?

Some form of settlement on this spot is thought to date back to the 10th century, though what visitors see today are the remains of a fortified house, known locally as a casa forta, built in the 14th or 15th century, most likely on the footprint of an earlier residence. The site takes its name from the Espasens family, documented in medieval records over several centuries. Berenguer d'Espasens is recorded as lord of the place in 1332, and Ramon d'Espasens held the castle in 1363, along with rights to a third of the tithes from the parish of Ollers.

What happened to it in later centuries?

A later Berenguer d'Espasens controlled the property between 1432 and 1444 and was the last family member to carry that surname. Ownership passed to Guillem Arnau de Palol in 1480, and his family kept the estate for generations afterward. Interestingly, a man named Ramon d'Espasens was still recorded living in Espasens as late as 1903, a sign of how long the old family name lingered in local memory, long after the family itself had lost the property.

What is left to see today?

What survives is modest but legible. The site has been cleared of earth and rubble, revealing the outline of a rectangular room on the eastern side, originally covered by two arched vaults. The perimeter walls still stand at around a metre in height, with a thickness of 70 to 100 centimetres. A ditch, likely a former moat, is also visible around part of the site. The overall scale suggests this was never a large fortress, but rather a fortified family residence.

The remains are listed in Catalonia's architectural heritage inventory under reference MPE-3010, though they carry no formal protection status of their own today. The site is easy to reach and open to visitors, and its closeness to the church of Santa Caterina makes it easy to combine both stops in a single walk through the area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you visit Castell d'Espasens? Yes. The ruins are freely accessible, with no booking or entrance fee required.

How old is the castle? Traces of occupation on the site go back to the 10th century, but the walls still visible today belong to a fortified house built in the 14th or 15th century.

Is it worth combining with other sights in Fontcoberta? Yes — the church of Santa Caterina d'Espasens stands just steps from the ruins, and the wider municipality of Fontcoberta offers several viewpoints over the rural Pla de l'Estany landscape.

Can you still make out the original layout of the castle? Only partly. The outline of one room, sections of the perimeter wall, and the ditch are all visible, but given the small size and state of the remains, reconstructing the full original layout isn't really possible.