Discover Púbol: Gala-Dalí Castle and Gothic architecture

Art and history

Púbol is home to Gala-Dalí Castle. Its basic structure dates from the second half of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century. The castle contains paintings and drawings that Dalí gave to Gala. Medieval building fabric and the house’s personal artistic history thus meet directly in this setting.

The introduction to the visit to Gala-Dalí Castle lasts approximately 20 minutes. This approximate duration is part of the visiting process and marks the beginning, before visitors explore the rooms, architectural history, and works displayed there at their own pace.

Gothic architecture

Sant Pere de Púbol is a remarkable Gothic church built next to the castle in 1327–1341. The building has a single-nave layout with side chapels. The apse is polygonal and pentagonal, giving the floor plan a clear structure beyond the rectilinear church interior.

The architectural details make the church building accessible even without specialist knowledge: the single-nave layout refers to the elongated main space, with the side chapels positioned alongside it. The pentagonal apse forms the polygonal end. On the façade, the tracery rose window and the portal with a coat of arms stand opposite one another as distinct visible architectural elements.

The façade of Sant Pere de Púbol features a tracery rose window. The portal bears the coat of arms of Campllong-Corbera. Can Carles also displays Gothic forms: its façade and portal with a voussoir arch add another historic building to the architectural character of the village.

Village character

The walls of Púbol formed an enclosure to the west of the castle and church. Today, they are integrated into the old buildings. As a result, the former fortification structure is encountered not only as a freestanding stretch of wall, but also in connection with the existing buildings.

Púbol lies on the right bank of the Riera de Púbol. The river course, castle, church, palace, and old buildings therefore form a spatial context that brings together various historical components to shape the village.

Location and getting there

Púbol can be reached directly from the regional road via a paved road near La Pera. The road layout and the close connection to La Pera are among the specific location details describing access to the village.

Visiting dates

Gala-Dalí Castle is open daily from 1 July to 6 September, from 10:00 to 19:00. Within this time window, the visit can be combined with the other impressions of the village, including the castle, church, Can Carles, and the walls integrated into the old buildings.

The Festa Major de Púbol takes place on 15 August. At the Festa Major, a concert and dancing followed a sardana performance; the event concluded with the traditional fan ball. The programme thus combines a Catalan dance form, music, further dancing events, and a concluding traditional ball on a fixed date.

For the overarching travel overview: La Pera.