Castell Monestir d'Escornalbou

Spain, Spain

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Castell Monestir d'Escornalbou, also known as the Castle-Monastery of Sant Miquel d'Escornalbou, is a unique fortified complex in Riudecanyes, Tarragona province, Catalonia, Spain, blending a 12th-century monastery with an earlier castle of Andalusian origin.

Founded around 1153-1170 by King Alfonso I, who donated the site to establish an Augustinian canonry for repopulation, defense, and worship of St. Michael, it later housed Franciscans from the 16th century until the 1835 expropriations, overseeing a vast barony amid the Sierra de l’Armentera mountains.

Transformed in the early 20th century by diplomat Eduard Toda into a romantic fantasy residence with preserved Romanesque church, cloister remnants, and panoramic gardens, it now belongs to the Diputació de Tarragona and Generalitat de Catalunya, open for visits highlighting its layered history.