Logbook · 4 places

What to see and do in Masquefa

What to see and do in Masquefa (Anoia, Barcelona): 4 places across monuments, nature, activities and curiosities, with a photo and a Google Maps location.

1 Villages · 2 Monuments · 1 Activities

When to go to Masquefa: festival calendar

July: Masquefa Main Festival (July 18-22)

How far each place is from the centre of Masquefa

Castle of Masquefa 750 m
Sant Pere i la Santa Creu de Masquefa 750 m

Towns near Masquefa

Spain › Catalonia › Barcelona › Anoia › Masquefa

What to see and do in Masquefa

Masquefa
Village
Masquefa is a municipality in the east of the comarca of l'Anoia, in the province of Barcelona, with the castle of Masquefa and the church of Sant Pere i la Santa Creu. Its history goes back to 3 March 963, when Count Miró of Barcelona sold to Enyec Bonfill the castrum Machicepfa together with its term, the parish jurisdiction and the original church of San Pedro, putting an end to the counts' dominion over the place. From 975 the monastery of Sant Cugat gradually acquired almost the entire territory. The present Romanesque church of San Pedro was built between the late 12th and early 13th centuries, in the time of Jaime I. Its name may derive from an Arabic root meaning to live joyfully, a sign of Arab presence in 8th-century Barcelona.
Castle of Masquefa
Monument
Remains of the castell termenat that gives its name to the municipality of Masquefa, in the comarca of Anoia, documented from the year 963, when the count of Barcelona sold it, together with its lands and the parish of Sant Pere, to Ènyec Bonfill. Years later he exchanged it with the Monastery of Sant Cugat del Vallès, which in 1254 had its ownership of the castle confirmed by a grant from James I; already in the 12th century a family bearing the surname Masquefa is documented, probably linked to the castellany of the fortress. The ruins preserved next to the old church of Sant Pere were levelled in 1968 to build an esplanade, although works carried out in the late 1990s brought to light structures that could belong to the castle itself.
Sant Pere i la Santa Creu de Masquefa
Monument
Sant Pere i la Santa Creu de Masquefa is a Romanesque church first mentioned in 936, situated on a crag between the Torrent del Cementiri and the Riera, about 500 metres from the village of Masquefa, of which it was formerly the parish church; the present fabric dates from the late 12th or early 13th century. It has a single nave with a semicircular apse decorated with a sawtooth frieze and corbels carved with animals, human figures and scallop shells. Inside, the part furthest from the apse is already Gothic, with ribbed vaults supporting the choir, and in the baptistery remains of paintings of the Baptism of Jesus are preserved. The bell tower, formerly with a horizontal roof, now ends in a four-sided point. Listed in the Catalan architectural heritage inventory (IPAC 409).
Masquefa Main Festival
Activity
The Festa Major de Masquefa is held around 22 July in honour of Saint Mary Magdalene, the town's religious and festive patron saint, with five days of culture, music and family activities. The programme includes the Passada de Festa Major, a parade with the seguici festiu, cobla music and representatives of L'Alzinar, as well as the Serenata de Festa Major and performances by the Cobla-Orquestra els Montgrins. The youngest enjoy a children's correfoc, and the cercavila, the carretilla de Festa Major, the ball parlat and the versots of the Ball de Diables are also part of the celebrations. The eve is marked by the traditional lighting of the bell tower, and exhibitions of art by local artists and craft displays are also organised.