Castell de Gallifa

Spain, Spain

---

Castell de Gallifa is a small medieval fortress atop a 642-meter hill in Gallifa, Vallès Occidental, Catalonia, Spain, first documented in 999 AD as a jurisdictional center originally belonging to the Counts of Barcelona.

Archaeological evidence reveals Iberian walls from the 8th century BC, while the site features defensive perimeter walls, two fortified gateways with lookout towers, and a Romanesque chapel of Santa Maria del Castell—built in the 11th century with Lombard apse, single nave, and later fortified upper floor—serving as a parish until 1860 and now known as the Sanctuary of the Mare de Déu de l'Ecologia.

Controlled by families like Gallifa, Rocafort, and Centelles before locals bought their freedom in 1564, the well-preserved ruins lost military function by the 16th century, offering panoramic views and recognized as a Cultural Asset of National Interest.