- Type
- Castle
- Built
- c. 1751 · 18th century
- Site origins
- 1641 per Wikidata – an earlier stronghold or first mention
- Visiting
- probably – Wikidata lists it as a museum or gives tickets, opening hours or visitor numbers; check before you go
- Coordinates
- 41.3634°, 2.1662°
History
The first fort on the hill above the port was thrown up in haste by the Catalans in 1640, at the start of the Reapers' War, and in January 1641 they repulsed a Castilian army beneath it at the Battle of Montjuïc. The defences were enlarged in the late 17th century and changed hands several times during the War of the Spanish Succession. The present star-shaped, bastioned fortress was designed by the engineer Juan Martín Cermeño; work began around 1751 and continued until the end of the century. In the 19th and 20th centuries its guns were more than once turned on the city itself, and its casemates held opponents of the government. On 15 October 1940 Lluís Companys, President of the Generalitat, was executed here. In 2007 the army handed the fortress over to the city.
What to see
A cable car and footpaths through Montjuïc park lead up to the castle on the summit. A bridge over the dry moat, now laid out with gardens, brings you into a broad parade ground ringed by casemates that house exhibitions on the history of the fortress and the hill. The bastions and the rooftop terrace give a sweeping view of the port, the sea and the whole of Barcelona as far as Tibidabo.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q2500125
Popularity: articles about this site in 17 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).