St George's Legend in Montblanc (Medieval Week)

The history of Montblanc

Montblanc is a medieval fortified village, with the old town completely surrounded by its medieval walls. Walking in the streets has a special charm because they are inhabited and full of common life and its center is not entirely devote to tourism, like others similar villages.

The village was established at the beginning of the XII century for strategic reasons. Ramon Berenguer IV  (Count of Barcelona) wanted to build  a strong point in the road that linked Catalonia with France, halfway between Tarragona and Lleida, and was his son, king Alfons II of Aragon, who ordered the relocation of the residents of a neighbour village to Montblanc, and gave the city tax free privileges.

Fighting men of the village were always faithful to kings, accompanying them in their conquests. In exchange, they received good rewards, and over the next years Montblanc became richer and increased its monuments and population to be the most populous city of Catalonia in the XIV century.

With the end of the Catalan-Aragon monarchy came gradually the decline of montblanc and in XVII-XVIII centuries suffered several attacks and lootings.

At the XIX century the city recovered population due to the planting of vineyards, the arrival of the railroad and the industrialization. 

Today Montblanc is the capital of the region of Conca de Barbera and has a population of 7,500 inhabitants.

You'll find a more detailed history and much more in this site of the Tourism Office, available in english.

Medieval Week celebration

Every year Montblanc organises a Medieval Week to revive its medieval origin. Streets, squares and towers are embellished with the noble flags and standards. There are a lot of activities that transport the visitors back to the Middle Age: scenes of medieval life, the medieval supper, a concentration of dragons and fire, the medieval market, the performance of the Catalan Courts and so on…

The Medieval Week actually lasts two weeks, beginning on 23th April: Sant Jordi's day (Saint George).

The legend of Saint George has an important role, and one of the main events is the theatrical representation of the legend:

A long time ago, a fierce dragon frightened the people in Montblanc. It ate up the pasture animals to such an extent to threaten the town’s population. So as to avoid the attack of the beast it was decided to give it a person every day. There was a draw among the population, the king’s family was included in it, and the destiny  wanted the king’s daughter to be the  person chosen. When she was going to be swallowed  by the dragon a horseman appeared and saved her of being killed by the dragon. The horseman was Saint George. At the place where the dragon poured out its blood a rosebush with red roses grew. Since then it has been maintained the Catalan tradition in which men give a red rose to their beloved women.

See some photos of the show here.

The Medieval Week of Saint George has turned into the most important and most famous celebration  in Montblanc. It has been designated as a Festival of National Tourist interest in Catalonia and in Spain.

Monuments and Folklore

Apart from Pont Vell (Ancient Bridge) and La Muralla (the walls), there is so much to do in Montblanc and its surroundings that you'd better look at the Tourism Office webpage, you'll find a big amount of practical and well structured information.  

How to get there

Montblanc is well connected by highway to Barcelona (84 km), Tarragona or Reus (29 km)  and Costa Daurada - Salou, Cambrils, ...  

There is also public transport by bus and a railway station from where it is possible to visit the city in a walking tour.

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Theater Museum Salvador Dalí (Figueres)

The Theater

Salvador Dalí (1904 - 1989) was born an dead in Figueres, and after living in Madrid, Paris and New York came back to work in his theatre museum, the building of the former Municipal Theater, built in the nineteenth century and destroyed at the end of the Civil War. The building itself is a work of art.

The Museum

The Museum  houses the largest collection of Dalí works, mainly from the artist's estate to the Spanish state, including a set of works created by the artist expressly for the Theater-Museum, like the room Mae West, the room Palau del Vent, the Monument to Francesc Pujols, and the Cadillac plujós.

In the basement of the Museum there is the tomb of Dalí, in a small crypt.

It is recommended to visit the museum first thing in the morning, to avoid the queues in the entry and crowds in the expose. 

There is an on-line service for purchasing tickets:  https://www.salvador-dali.org/serveis/en_entrades.html

 

Dalí Joies

When, after the visit of the Theater Museum, you are guided to the exit door, don't forget to walk a few meters to entry, just through a little door on the corner, the jewel exposition (named Dalí-joies).

The visit takes a short time and is really worth it to contemplate the originals designs besides the sumptuous jewels.

Traveling to Figueres

By car: highway AP-7, the trip lasts 1,5 hours

By train: conventional train (select destination Figueres/Figueres) in a two hour trip, which can be reduced to 53 minutes booking a TGV train (select destination Figueres/Vilafant) 

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Spanish wines and cellars

Spain is the country with the largest area of vineyard cultivated in the world. It is very usual drink wine in social events or in bars, accompanying tapas.

In your visit wherever in the country sure you will have the chance to taste spanish wine or cava, but it can also be a great experience if you do it in the cellar where it's created.

We have had the opportunity to enjoy a guided tour and taste in three cellars, each one integrated in a different D.O. (Denominación de Origen = Designation of Origin), and with a different size and management.

D.O. Rioja: Laguardia

Laguardia is a precious fortified village built the s.X in the top of a hill to defend the Kingdom of Navarra.

On the façade of the old town hall you can see the  imperial coat of arms of Charles V, and in the new town hall there is a chime clock that sounds every day at 12.00, 14.00, 17.00 and 20.00 from October to May, and at 12.00, 13.00, 14.00, 17.00, 20.00 and 22.00 from June to September.

The subsoil of Laguardia is tunnelled along with wine cellars excavated eight metres down from the streets and houses (that's why the traffic is forbidden in the old town). Most of the cellars have moved to industrial parks in the surroundings to improve logistics, but it is still possible to find in-town cellars in use to visit, like Carlos Sampedro's.




The cave down Sampedro's house is been used as a cellar for the last 250 years, and it was built 600 years ago. The temperature (13 degrees Celsius all the year), the humidity (85%) and the dark and silence make the ideal conditions for the "crianza", the breeding of the wine.

Guided tours are available in English, check the timetable not to miss them.
Carlos Sampedro's in person will explain the origins of the cellar and the development of the wine since vintage to bottling, while walking through the wet and cool tunnels, and there you will have the opportunity to enjoy a wine tasting.

The ticket price is between 4 and 9 € for adults and is free for children under 18 years old.

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D.O. Somontano: Bodegas Meller

In Barbastro (Aragón) is born a new project led by the three sisters Meller: Bodegas Meller.

Ms. Meller explains with passion the type of grape, the characteristics of the soil where it is planted, the collection of the grape and the wine making process in rather scientific and rigorous terms.

If you are a curious person and you like making questions, a tour in a cellar like this one will allow you to solve all your doubts. In the fabulous wine tasting served at the end of the tour, the owner presents every wine and, due to the small size of the groups, an interesting chat probably will arise around the table.

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D.O. Penedès: Bodegas Torres

In Vilafranca del Penedès is located the winery and Visitor's Centre of Torres, known also for his Brandies.

This proposal is very different from the previous ones, we could say it is an "industrial tour", with professional guides, a film in a real cinema and a little train that carries visitors around the cellar.

The tour lasts an hour and costs 6,60 € for adults and 3,80 € for children. It is opened from 9h15 to 16h45 from Monday to Saturday and from 9h15 to 13h00 on Sundays and holidays.

It is also possible to extend the taste with different wines or brandies, or to order a Catalan Appetizer or a Brunch combined with one or two wines specially chosen.

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The Hydroelectric Power Station of Tavascan

Tavascan is the northernmost village of the Cardo's Valley, located at the end of the route L-504, in the middle of the Natural Park of the High Pyrenees. The village has just over a hundred inhabitants, but at his 1116 meters high, is provided with hotel, restaurant and campsite, that will allow travellers to enjoy their mountain vacation, either trekking, relaxing, skiing or trout fishing.  

The Hydroelectric Power Station

The tour starts with a video about the construction and operation of the Hidroelectric Power Station at the Centre d'Interpretació de l'Aigua de Tavascan. 

After a short walk, equipped with a helmet, we are ready to walk 500 meters inside the mountain named Pic de Gueron, to The Cave of Tavascan. 

The complex

In the Cave there are two power stations: Tavascan Superior and Tavascan Inferior, and the original control centre (now the operation is from Lleida). 

Tavascan Superior picks water from the lake Certescan (the bigger lake of the Pyrenees, with 100m depth) and Romedo de Baix through a 1.400 m long pipe  and a drop heigh of 900 meters until the arrival in the Cave of Tavascan, where two pelton turbines receives 7 m3/s at 85 kg/cm2. 

Tavascan Inferior takes water from the reservoir of Graus, through a 800 m long pipe and a drop heigh of 246 m, and arrives at a lower level from Tavascan Superior, in the same Cave. The turbine in this case is a Francis, and works with a flow of 14 m3/s and a pressure of 25 kg/cm2.

The complex also has the reversible power station of Montamara, that pumps water from Graus to Romedo at nights to store part of the excess of energy produced by nuclear and thermal plants.

This special visit is possible everyday at 17 hours, all the year, although you should book previously. It takes 1,5 hours and costs 7 €. It is not suitable for children under 6 years old.

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