PALACES AND MANOR HOUSES

TRADE ACROSS
BORDERS

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.

Palau dels santjoans, Cinctorres

This palace, located in the heart of the town, between the square Plaça Vella and and the street Sol de Vila, stands as a noble civil Gothic building. It belonged to the noble house of Santjoan, from which the name of this palace comes. The surname comes from Catalonia, and was extended throughout the Kingdom of Valencia after the Christian conquest. In many towns in the area, there had been noble houses of Santjoan between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries.

In Cinctorres, the building has its origins in the 15th century, although its current structure dates back to the 17th century. It is a palace with an Aragon Gothic style, whose external part is very well preserved. It has two levels and its façade is made of stone with an emerging wooden eave. Moreover, it has a square tower with a hipped roof in whose apex appears the Maltese Cross. The interior retains the coats of arms in polychromy of the families who lived in the palace. In one room, we find another coat of arms belonging to Santjoan, an inhabitant of the population remembered for his fight against the French invaders. In another room, in an upper floor, and probably the most interesting part of the palace, all the flooring and walls are covered with zoo-morphic ceramic. With special value as well, we find the staircases that are made of carved wood. Currently, the palace is owned by the Provincial Council of Castellón, but they allow the City Council to use the palace with the purpose of hosting museums and cultural activities.

The wooden door of the 19th century, has a top coat of arms in stone divided into five parts. Each part represents a heraldic symbol of Santjoan. The two of them which are higher have silver towers, in the center an eagle, representing the Santjoan family from Catalonia. Down, two wolves in one half and a tree and wolf in the opposite side.

CINCTORRES

Currently: It hosts The Paleontological Museum Dinomania.
Address: Travessia Forn, nº 1.
For further information: Tourist Office. Plaça Nova, 6, 12318 Cinctorres, Castelló.
Contact: +34 964 18 14 28.

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Main Square of Forcall: Palau Osset-Miró and Palau de les Escaletes
 Forcall

The main square of Forcall is a monumental space built in the 16th century, when the arcades and its main palaces were erected: Palau Osset-Miró, now converted into a hotel, and the palace known as Palau or Casa de les Escaletes, currently the Town Hall.

FORCALL

Address: Plaça Major, 7, 12310 Forcall, Castellon (Tourist office), the palaces are in the place.
Contact: +34 964 17 10 01.

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Palaces in Morella: Casa del Consell, Cardenal Ram, Marquès de Cruïlles and Casa Piquer.

Walking through the streets of Morella, visitors can discover different palaces built during the Gothic period and the Renaissance, some of them converted into hotels, as the Cardenal Ram, other private as Casa Piquer and others such as the Marques de Cruïlles, converted into restaurants or bars in which visitors and locals can have a drink or dance.

The building which hosts the Town Hall was built with the purpose of being the Town Hall or Casa de la Vila or del Consell, and currently contains interesting places such as the medieval market or the prison, whose restoration has been awarded the Europa Nostra prize for the recovery of architectural heritage.

MORELLA

Currently: through the streets of Morella, you can visit the interior of these buildings, discovering in its streets many characteristic buildings.

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Municipal palace and market, Vilafranca

The municipal palace of Vilafranca is an important Gothic building with geminated and lobed windows, carved eaves and large rooms. One of these rooms, the room of Sessions, contains a jewel: an altarpiece by Valentí Montoliu, made in 1455. In its basement, it is the Tourist Office.

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VILAFRANCA

Currently: The tourist office is located in the basement of the building.
Address: C/Sant Roc, 1 12150 Vilafranca
Telephone: + 34 964 44 14 32

Palau del Baró d’Herbers

Manor house of the 14th century, recently restored and known as the “Castle of Herbers”. Noble house of the Gothic period with battlements and ogival Gothic windows. There are still interior rooms. It can be visited only externally.

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HERBÉS

Palau del Baró d’Herbés.

Palace of El Marquès de la Figuera in La Mata or Municipal Palace in Olocau del Rey are some examples to show that in most towns of Els Ports there are palaces and manor houses, so that, walking through streets acquires a special charm.

VARIOUS

Currently: Many of them can be visited only from the outside. Gradually, some of them are being restored and host restaurants, museums, interpretation centres, etc.