Camarles - Catalonya, Spain

Before the emergence of the Ebro Delta the river Ebro was the gateway to the town of Tortosa which was subject to attack from pirates. The town of Camarles was actually a Port and in order to warn of attacks and defend the area a Tower was built at a place called Camarles, the remains of which have been restored and can visited today. Halfway through the 12th Century Ramon Berenguer IV handed over then the tower or if you like Castle to the Knight Guillem de Sunyer who in turn offered it to the Bishop Joffre. His ownership was short lived and eventualy the "torre de la Granadella" was handed then to the Bishop of Tortosa. These Fortresses were of major significance to the Defence of the area and many people settled in the immediate area to take advantage of their protection. In recent years archaeological remains have been discovered and the site has been partially restored.The original site was an Iberian Settlement known as "El Bordisal". Today on the site the 12 century tower has been restored with local stone and is visited by many tourists. In addition and located nearby is an impressive Church which was built fairly recently in 1955. It has a high rectangular bell tower which looks over the town. A short distance from the church is a small Square that was built to commemorate all the Catalan Presidents. A monument can be found there on which is a plaque with all their names engraved.

   

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