Pelacalç: Castle Ruins and Historic Farmhouses

Pelacalç is a compact hamlet consisting of a few farmhouses and the Capella de l’Assumpta, which has now been converted into a residential building. The development of the present-day settlement is linked to the destruction of Pelacalç Castle during the Reapers’ War. Castle ruins, farmhouses and religious buildings give the place several clearly distinct historical points of interest.

The Castle as the Origin of the Hamlet

Pelacalç Castle is documented from the beginning of the 14th century. In the 16th century, it belonged to the Margarit family. During the Reapers’ War in 1640, Castilian troops burned down and plundered the castle and the church of Pelacalç. The hamlet’s farmhouses were built over the castle’s remains in the 16th century and, above all, in the 17th century. The history of the fortress and the later construction are thus closely linked to the formation of the present-day settlement.

Remains of the castle wall are visible from Carrer de Can Picó. A short surviving section of wall forms an angle with another fragment. The beginning of a vaulted passage can be seen there; it may be the remains of a fortified gateway. The wall remains therefore offer a tangible glimpse of the castle’s architectural traces, while the interpretation as a gateway remains explicitly tentative.

Farmhouses and a Converted Chapel

Can Joanmiquel, now Can Saló, is one of the oldest farmhouses in Pelacalç. Can Mallol is one of the hamlet’s notable farmhouses, while Can Picó has a Gothic-Renaissance window. Several coats of arms have been discovered on the walls of Can Costal; they have not yet been studied. These different features show how the hamlet’s building history can be read in individual houses and details.

The Capella de l’Assumpta also has an architectural connection to the castle: it was partly built from its stones. It has now been converted into a residential building. The reused stones link the building to the castle’s history; its current residential use is a separate matter.

Santa Maria de l’Om and the Plain

Santa Maria de l’Om lies one kilometre northeast of Pelacalç, in the middle of the plain near the hamlet. Today, the building is a Marian shrine or hermitage and belongs to the parish of Sant Sadurní de Montiró. Santa Maria de l’Om was formerly the parish church of the hamlet of Pelacalç. Its surviving Romanesque elements suggest that it was built in the 11th century. Alongside the history of the castle and farmhouses, the site thus offers its own religious and architectural focus.

Between Pelacalç and Montiró, a good path branches off from the road to Santa Maria de l’Om. The historic Aplec de la Mare de Déu de l’Om was celebrated on 15 August. Together, the route and the festival tradition place the site in context both geographically and in terms of its historical religious significance.

Landscape and Getting Around

The Fluvià riverbank area extends as far as Pelacalç’s former wetlands. The road from Viladamat to Castelló d’Empúries also passes through the hamlet. Getting oriented in the area therefore involves both a specific road connection and a broader landscape context.

When choosing a stay based on your cultural and historical interests, you can distinguish between the highlights: the castle ruins and farmhouses tell the story of Pelacalç’s settlement; Santa Maria de l’Om adds its former role as a parish church and its surviving Romanesque elements to this picture.

For the broader travel overview: Ventalló.