Castle of Cardona

The Castell de Cardona ( Catalan for, castle of Cardona ', in Spanish Castillo de Cardona ) is a historic fortress located in the municipality of Cardona in Bages comarca in the autonomous region of Catalonia, some 32 km north-west of Manresa.

History

On a hill ( 589 meters), the fortress whose silhouette overlooks the town and offers a particularly good view of the valley and the mountains of salt rises. The castle was built in the year 886 of Guifré el PILOS. He was the last Count of Barcelona used by the Franks.

Today is in the rebuilt in the 18th century Palace of the Parador de Cardona, a state- run luxury hotel. When remodeling, however, only a few elements from the 11th century have been preserved, among other things, the Collegiate Church of Sant Vincenç and the famous Torre de la Minyona ( Tower of Miss '). The traditions after this tower is said to have served as a prison for Adelaïde, the daughter of the Count of Cardona and thereby got the name.

The visible from afar fortress and the prominent location has to thank the Castell de Cardona in its long history as a defensive structure of the Frankish counties since the Carolingian period. In addition to that already a large salt deposits were found in close proximity to Roman times, that is mined today. Since salt had a great importance as a food preservative in the Middle Ages, unusually careful measures for military protection of the territory and of the salt mine were undertaken. Especially against the Islamic conquest sat down successfully resisted, so that the castle soon was impregnable and their owners earned promotion to the highest ranks of nobility.