ROUTE OF CASTLES AND PALACES
BOUNDARY LAND
Els Ports was a boundary land, in which small forts, castles and palaces of nobles and bourgeois were erected centuries ago.
Exploring the streets of the towns in the region offers visitors the chance to enjoy its interesting architectural heritage. Many buildings are privately owned and others have been converted into hotels or other services, so your visit is a truly authentic experience.
VILAFRANCA
The municipal palace of Vilafranca is an important Gothic building with paired and lobed windows, carved eaves, and spacious halls. One of these halls, the 'Sesiones,' preserves a first-rate pictorial gem: an altarpiece by Valentí Montoliu, dating back to 1455. The tourist office is located on the ground floor.
VILAFRANCA
Currently: The tourist office is located on the ground floor of the building.
Address: C/ Sant Roc, 1. 12150 Vilafranca Phone: 964 44 14 32
CASTLE,
WALLS AND TOWERS OF MORELLA.
MORELLA
Morella, is a walled city that impresses visitors with its characteristic and breathtaking silhouette drawn in the sky of Els Ports. Crowning the town, we find its castle-fortress of Muslim origin, strategically seated on a rock at 1,072 meters. The town stretches along the hillside embraced by its more than 1,000 meters of walls, with 14 defensive towers erected in the middle, some of them now converted into museums.
Today the castle can be visited, as well as the entrance to the Convent of San Francesc and the towers of Sant Miquel.
MORELLA
Currently: Today the castle can be visited, as well as the entrance to the Convent of San Francesc and the towers of Sant Miquel.
Office tourism: Plaza San Miguel, 12300 Morella, Castellón.
Phone: 964 17 30 32.
CASA DEL CONSELL
CARDENAL RAM MARQUÉS DE CRUÏLLES CASA PIQUER
MORELLA
Throughout the centuries, the utilization of natural resources in the environment has been essential for the inhabitants of Els Ports. Vallibona, surrounded by vast forests of holm oaks and oaks, has always stood out in the production of charcoal, a product that required skilled and dedicated workers.
The production and marketing of charcoal in Vallibona have been fundamental to the economy of the municipality, serving as an essential supplement to the family economy.
In the center, located in the ancient medieval prison of the town, visitors can learn about the profession and the various phases and tools used in its production, as well as the importance it had in the municipality until just a few decades ago.
MORELLA
Currently, you can visit the exteriors of all these buildings by strolling through Morella, discovering many characteristic structures along its streets.
CINCTORRES
The Santjoans House, located in the center of the town, between Plaça Vella and Sol de Vila, stands out as a building of noble civil Gothic architecture. It belonged to the noble house of Santjoan, from which the palace gets its name. The surname originates from Catalonia and spread through the Kingdom of Valencia after the Christian conquest. In numerous localities in the area, there were noble houses of Santjoans between the 13th and 15th centuries.
In Cinctorres, the building dates back to the 15th century, although its current structure is from the 17th century. It is an Aragonese Gothic-style palace, very well-preserved externally. It has two floors, and its facade is made of stone, featuring a wooden eave. There is a square tower with a four-water roof, and at its apex, the Cross of Malta is displayed. Inside, it preserves polychrome heraldic shields of the families of the palace. In one hall, another shield corresponds to the arms of Santjoans, a figure native to this town, well-remembered for his fight against the French invaders. In another room, likely the most remarkable, the floor and walls are covered with zoomorphic ceramics. The interior stairs, elaborately crafted in wood, are also noteworthy. It is currently owned by the Provincial Council of Castellón, which has granted it to the Town Hall for museum and cultural activities.
The wooden door dates back to the 19th century, and above it, there is a heraldic shield in stone divided into five parts. Each part represents a heraldic symbol of the Santjoans. The two upper parts depict silver towers, in the center, there is a sable eagle, representing the Santjoans of Catalonia. Below, on the right, there are two sable wolves, and on the left, another sinople tree and the sable wolf.
CINCTORRES
Currently: It houses the Paleontological Museum Dinomanía.
Address: C/ Sol de Vila 1 More information: Tourist Office, C/ Nou, 12318 Cinctorres, Castellón.
Contact: 964 18 14 28
FORCALL
The Plaza Mayor of Forcall constitutes a monumental space built from the 16th century when the arcades and its main palaces were erected: the Palacio Osset-Miró, currently converted into a hotel, and the building known as the palace or house of les Escaletes, the town hall.
FORCALL
Address: Plaza Mayor, 7, 12310 Forcall, Castellón (tourist office), the palaces are in this same square.
Contact: 964 17 10 01
TODOLELLA
An emblematic and majestic defensive building of the 14th century that crowns the village of Todolella. Its beauty and interesting structure gives a special appeal to the population that stretches along the hillside, giving the castle-palace a singular prominence.
Throughout its history, the building has been owned by numerous families. A few decades ago, the current owner, Ricardo Miravet purchased it and restored with the purpose of making it his home. Recently, it has been established an agreement with the town, in order to let the castle be part of the heritage of Todolella, but it is not ready to be visited yet.
TODOLELLA
Currently: It can’t be visited.
Contact: Town Hall. Ed. El Guerrer, Carrer Carretera, 5-7, 12312 la Todolella, Castelló.
Telephone: 964 17 11 78.
OLOCAU DEL REY
Castle built in medieval times on top of a mountain around Olocau. Today, only the ruins can be admired, the remains of a building with an irregular shape with two main complexes, the “sobirà” with a prismatic tower and a water well, and the “jussà”, surrounding it with another tower.
OLOCAU DEL REY
Currently: There are some remains of the wall and a circular tower.
For further information: Town Hall of Olocau.
HERBERS
Palatial building with roots in the 14th century, cradle of great families that owned this historic estate. It features interesting rooms from different periods and styles, allowing visitors to take a journey through its history, from the enormous medieval icehouse and the tithe hall to an impressive cellar, Renaissance rooms from the 16th century, gloomy dungeons, or the majestic noble hall.
It was owned by Don Rafael Ram de Viu, a key figure in the Carlist uprising of Morella in 1833 at the beginning of the First Carlist War, for which he was executed by liberal forces.
HERBERS
Actualmente: es visitable concertando visita guiada. Ayuntamiento: C/del Horno, 27. Tlf. 606 14 00 66 / 978 856 602 turismeherbers@gmail.com www.herbes.es
