Catí town hall

Catí town hall stands at the heart of this small village in the province of Castellón, in the Alt Maestrat region of the Valencian Community.

Where exactly is the town hall located?

The building sits right on the Plaza Mayor, the main square around which the historic centre of Catí has revolved since the Middle Ages. Its coordinates are 40.4715, 0.0227778. The entire old quarter of Catí was declared a protected historic ensemble (Conjunto Histórico-Artístico) under regional decree 231/2004, so the streets and buildings around the square carry legal protection.

What is the old Casa de la Vila?

What visitors and locals point to as the "old town hall" is actually a Gothic building known as the Llotja, or Casa de la Vila — the historic seat of municipal government. It went up in the 15th century as a textbook example of the civil Gothic architecture found across villages in Castellón. Preparatory work began as early as 1418, and construction proper ran from around 1428, carried out by master builders connected to nearby Traiguera and local stonemasons.

How was the building laid out?

The structure splits into two clearly separate functions. The ground floor is an open arcaded gallery that for centuries hosted the town's market (lonja) and its slaughterhouse. The upper floor housed the Casa de la Vila itself, where the town council met and where assemblies of the whole community were held. This split — a working, open-air ground floor topped by a formal council chamber — was standard for Gothic town halls across this part of Spain.

Does the building still serve as the town hall today?

Not in the administrative sense. The old Casa de la Vila served as Catí's seat of government until 1991. That year, to coincide with the tercentenary celebrations of neighbouring Morella's independence, the village opened a new, modern town hall directly across the street from the old one. The historic building was left untouched architecturally and is now listed as a site of local heritage significance (Bien de Relevancia Local), which protects it from alteration.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

Right next to the old Casa de la Vila stands the Gothic Sant Joan palace, also known as Casa Miralles. On the same square, a Baroque building houses an exceptional Gothic altarpiece. A short walk away on Carrer Major is the parish church of the Assumption, whose construction began in the 13th century; above its entrance sits a sundial marking all twelve signs of the zodiac. Just outside the village, the hermitages of Santa Ana and El Pilar are also worth the detour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Catí's town hall a medieval building? Yes. The historic building known as the old town hall is the 15th-century Gothic Llotja, built from around 1428 by master builders from the Traiguera area.

Is the town hall still in official use? No. Since 1991, the municipal government has operated from a new building across the street, while the historic Llotja was preserved as a protected heritage site.

What was the ground floor used for? The arcaded ground floor housed the town's market and slaughterhouse, while the upper floor served as the council chamber.

What protection status does the old Casa de la Vila hold? It is registered as a Bien de Relevancia Local, and the entire historic centre of Catí is protected as a heritage ensemble under decree 231/2004.