Montferrer: Discover Mills, Churches and Castle Traces

Montferrer preserves historical traces of mills, churches and fortification remains. The Antiga Farinera de Montferrer was built in 1911 over an older grain mill dating from 1868. The building retains 26 main machines that were powered by water. The Farinera is part of the Ruta dels Oficis d’ahir, a group of nine small museums in the Alt Urgell region. This group serves to showcase crafts from the past. At the Farinera, visitors can therefore view together an earlier use of the site, the later construction of 1911 and the preserved technical equipment. The two dates represent the connection between the history of the mill and the building that now stands above this older facility. The 26 main machines also point to the former method of operation using water power and make the technical character of the mill visible.

Other places: Balaguer, Talarn, Sidamon, La Pobla De Cérvoles, Erdo, Llés, Les Borges Blanques and Biosca.

Culture

Inside the Mare de Déu de la Trobada church, four clearly visible settlement phases can be identified: a Roman phase, an early Christian or pre-Romanesque phase, a Romanesque phase from the 11th century and a modern phase. The Sant Vicenç de Montferrer church has been documented since 1093. It is recognized as a cultural asset of local interest. At the Mare de Déu de la Trobada, the chronological sequence follows directly one phase after another: the Roman phase and the early Christian or pre-Romanesque period are followed by the Romanesque phase of the 11th century, and then by modern use. Together with the documentary evidence for Sant Vicenç since 1093, the history of the site thus encompasses several clearly identified periods and two distinct church references.

History

The remains of Montferrer Castle are located in the cellar of Cal Miqueló, the highest house at the upper end of the village. Montferrer also preserves the base of a round tower and a probably late-medieval, sloping section of wall with loopholes. In 1087, Montferrer Castle was transferred by Archdeacon Guillem Arnau, together with the church of Aravell, to the cathedral chapter of Urgell. The historical traces are thus distributed across a cellar, the base of a tower and a section of wall. The section of wall is probably late medieval and has its own architectural features, including its slope and loopholes. The transfer of the castle and church in 1087 also names a specific person involved, Guillem Arnau, and the cathedral chapter of Urgell as the recipient.

Geography

The old centre of Montferrer lies on a small ridge 732 metres high beside the Segre. The Arfa–Castellciutat–La Seu d’Urgell route passes the hill on which the village of Montferrer is located. The Mare de Déu de la Trobada church can be reached from the N-260 via a turn-off and a road less than 300 metres long leading to Plaça de la Trobada. The old centre, the ridge and the Segre River form the geographical reference points for the location of the village. The Arfa–Castellciutat–La Seu d’Urgell route includes the hill in its course, while the described access road to the church begins at the N-260 and ends at Plaça de la Trobada. The village location, route connection and specific road section thus stand alongside one another without separating the historic sites from each other.

For the higher-level travel overview: Lleida.