Logbook · 3 places

What to see and do in Gelida

What to see and do in Gelida (Alt Penedès, Barcelona): 3 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 2 Monuments

How far each place is from the centre of Gelida

Castle of Gelida 600 m

Towns near Gelida

Spain › Catalonia › Barcelona › Alt Penedès › Gelida

What to see and do in Gelida

Gelida
Village
Gelida is a municipality of Alt Penedès, in the province of Barcelona, on its eastern edge, on the banks of the Anoia river, whose castle, at 290 metres, overlooks the settlement from the northern end of the Ordal mountain range. The valley formed by the river before reaching the Llobregat is given over to grape growing, with wines and cavas of the Penedès denomination of origin, while the mountainous area preserves Mediterranean pine forest. The earliest human evidence dates from the megalithic and Iberian periods, with Roman remains as well; the oldest settlements are located around the castle and the Romanesque chapel of Sant Miquel, documented since the 10th century. In the 18th century the economy was based on farming and hemp; papermaking was added later, with the Molí Vell of 1783.
Castle of Gelida
Monument
A half-ruined castle to the southeast of the urban centre of Gelida, on a hill between 250 and 290 metres in the foothills of the Ordal mountain range. Next to it stands the church of San Pedro, already documented in 945, the only building of the complex still standing; the rest of the walled precinct is in ruins. Its ownership passed through the Cervelló, Montcada, Arborea and Bertrán families, and in 1465 Peter of Portugal resided there. In 1780 the parish priest of San Pedro requested permission to extract stone from the precinct to build the bell tower. Since 1965 the Association of Friends of the Castle of Gelida has managed its restoration; in 1968 it became municipal property, and today it forms part of a museum space with walkways and railings for visitors.
House of the Lord of Gelida
Monument
A fortified house next to the church of Sant Miquel, at the junction of the road from Martorell towards the castle with another leading to the flour mill on the Anoia river; around it the core of the village of Gelida took shape. Probably built in the early 16th century, it is a fortified manor house of rectangular plan, with a basement, ground floor, upper floor and attic; two side wings and three party-wall houses form a small inner courtyard. At the ends of the facade stand two octagonal towers with arrow slits, which controlled the roads over the Sant Miquel pass; above the main door is the coat of arms of Francesc de Tort. Documented since 1593, in 1783 the lords of Gelida sold it to the farmer Josep Rossell, and in 1806 it passed to Jaume Barceló, a master builder who renovated it.