Castell de Montjuic- the castle of the people

The Castell de Montjuic is a 17th century castle on the mountain of Montjuic which was built over an old Jewish cementery (Montjuic means “Jewish Mountain” in Catalan). It was originally a fort, and was built in 1640. In 1694 the fort was converted into a castle and in 1751 the fort, which still stood inside the new walls, was demolished.

At that time the cisterns and the moat were built. From 1779 to 1799 the castle underwent further construction to include more ovens and kitchens in order to accommodate its growing population. The artillery was also built at this time. The castle is located on the highest point of Montjuic at an altitude of 170 meters and occupies most of the summit.

The castle has experienced some of the most important events in the history of Catalonia. It was built during a revolt against Felipe IV. This revolt was the beginning of what became known as the Reapers´ War. The peasants and reapers revolted against King Felipe IV because they were unhappy with the stationing of Castilian troops and the feudalistic burdens that were being placed on them. During the War of the Spanish Succession the castle was captured and then taken back several times before eventually surrendering to Bourbon troops. In 1808, the castle was captured was Napoleon’s troops.

In the late 1800´s the castle began to be used as a military prison, when the workers involved in anarchist violence were imprisoned there. In 1909 what has become known as the Tragic Week of 1909 took place. At this time, Francesc Ferrer I Guàrdia, a Catalan educator and the creator of L’Escola Moderna, was executed by a firing squad after having being accused of preparing an assault on King Alfonso XII. In 1936 the castle was used to house political prisoners, and between 1936 and 1938, 173 people were executed by firing squad. Lluís Companys, then the President of the Generalitat de Catalonia, was executed there on October 15, 1940.

The castle remained a military prison until 1960 when it was given to the city under the direction and administration of the army. Work was done to refurbish it so that it could be used as a military museum, and on June 24, 1963, Francisco Franco presided over the inauguration of the museum.

From the 1960´s until just a few years ago the castle was considered a symbol of oppression by many of the locals. It was restored in 1992 for the Olympics and parts of it were made accessible to the public, but many of the citizens had mixed feelings about the castle due to its bloody history and the fact that it did not fully belong to the city.

In 2007 the decree to hand over the Castell to the city was modified, and on June 15 it was officially given to the city as a cultural site. On this day the citizens celebrated the return of the castle to the people, and the castle had more than 40,000 visitors. Today the Bastion of Santa Amàlia houses an exhibition called “Barcelona té castell” (Barcelona has a castle) which explains the history of the castle as well as its new uses. The exhibit is open Saturday from 10am to 2pm and 4pm to 7pm, and Sundays and holidays from 10am to 3pm. Admission is free.

Today the castle is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Barcelona. There are also seminars, exhibitions, concerts, and films which attract many of the locals. The Military museum still exists, and the Museum of Comics and Illustration can also be found here.

The Military museum displays weapons and military artifacts from different countries and different points of time. There are also miniature soldiers, scale models, and flags. One of the exhibits has the proposals from a contest organized by King Charles III (1759-1788) to design the flag of Spain. The current Spanish flag came from the design of the winner of this contest. As of 2007 the museum also contains information on its history with a somewhat critical view of the oppression of the military.

From late June until the end of July there is an outdoor cinema known as Sala Montjuic(http://www.salamontjuic.org/eng/index.html). Movies are shown every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The film begins at 10pm but there is live music starting at 8:30pm. The movies are shown in original version with Spanish subtitles and tickets costs €5. This is a great evening activity; just make sure to bring blankets or something to sit on.

The castle is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 8pm. Visitors can walk along the ramparts and some of the grounds for free but the cost to enter the castle and visit the military museum is €3. Make sure to take a stroll on the Camí del Mar, a 1 kilometer long walking path that provides views of the Olympic Port and beaches below.

The easiest way to arrive is to take the metro to Parallel, then take the Funicular to Av. Miramar, and then the Teleféric de Montjuic cable car to the castle. You can also take the metro to Plaça Espanya and then walk, but it will take around 20 minutes, all of it uphill.

And do not forget to take your camera with you since views of Barcelona from the top of Montjuic and from the castle are just amazing. Choose a sunny day for your visit and the pictures you´ll take will be stunning!