Les Quatre Torres

Les Quatre Torres is a 19th-century neo-medieval residence standing in Vilassar de Dalt, a small town in the Maresme region just north of Barcelona. The name literally means "The Four Towers", referring to the four corner turrets crowned with crenellations and corbels that give the whole building the silhouette of a small castle.

Who built Les Quatre Torres?

The house was built in 1878 by Salvador Banús i Feliu, a Barcelona spice merchant and brother of the heir to the Can Banús family. Wealthy Catalan families of the period often built villas around Barcelona that borrowed the visual language of defensive architecture, and Les Quatre Torres is a clear example of that trend, even though the building never served any military purpose.

What will you see there?

The main body of the house has two levels — a ground floor and an upper floor — while the four towers rise one storey higher, reinforcing their fortress-like presence. The roof is gabled, with the ridge running parallel to the main façade, which faces north.

The residence sits on the left bank of the Riera de Targa, a seasonal stream typical of the Maresme landscape. It is surrounded by a romantic garden featuring allegorical sculptures, a small pond and a solitary pine tree. A small artificial lake simulates a moat, complete with a bridge leading to the main entrance — a deliberate touch that strengthens the illusion of a medieval stronghold, despite the building dating from the industrial era.

Les Quatre Torres is listed as a Catalan cultural asset of local interest (BCIL), confirming its architectural and historical value for the municipality.

How do you get to Vilassar de Dalt?

Vilassar de Dalt sits inland from the coast in the Maresme region, between Barcelona and Mataró. The town is well connected by road and by local rail links through nearby Vilassar de Mar, from where a short bus or taxi ride reaches the town centre. The residence itself stands within the town, a short distance from the centre, making it easy to combine with a stroll around Vilassar de Dalt.

When is the best time to visit?

The building is a private residence, so visits are limited to viewing the façade and garden from the outside. Spring and early autumn are the best times to come, when the garden greenery is at its fullest and temperatures along the Maresme stay mild — avoiding the summer heat and the damp winter conditions common on this stretch of the Catalan coast.

Why visit Les Quatre Torres?

It is a rare example of residential architecture that blends the look of a medieval castle with the function of a 19th-century bourgeois villa. The four towers, crenellations and artificial moat form a cohesive, picturesque composition that stands out from the typical Maresme townscape, making it a worthwhile stop on a route through the region north of Barcelona.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside Les Quatre Torres? The building is a private residence, so the interior is not open to visitors — sightseeing is limited to the façade and garden viewed from outside.

Who built Les Quatre Torres? The house was built in 1878 by Salvador Banús i Feliu, a Barcelona spice merchant connected to the Can Banús family.

Where exactly is the building located? It stands on the left bank of the Riera de Targa, in the town of Vilassar de Dalt in the Maresme region, a short distance from the town centre.

What is distinctive about the architecture of Les Quatre Torres? Four corner towers with crenellations and corbels give the building the look of a small medieval castle, an effect reinforced by an artificial lake designed to resemble a moat.