Village
Molins de Rei is a town in the Baix Llobregat, in the province of Barcelona, part of the metropolitan area, with 27,300 inhabitants (INE 2025) and located 18 kilometres from the Catalan capital. Its name recalls old royal mills documented since 1188, built by order of Alfonso II of Aragon, which gave rise to the settlement. In 1430 the town was granted to Galcerán de Requesens, who built a palace there visited by the Catholic Monarchs and by Christopher Columbus. In 1763 a bridge over the Llobregat was built by order of Charles III, which turned it into a strategic point during the Peninsular War, in which it was set on fire several times. A town of the Baix Llobregat with the Romanesque castle of Molins and the popular building of Castellciuró.
Monument
Castle located in the municipality of Molins de Rei, in the Collserola mountain range, near the hermitage of Santa Creu d'Olorda, today in restored ruins and converted into a viewpoint. Its remains include a square-plan tower attached to a rectangular building and a stretch of wall with opus spicatum foundations dated to the 10th century, as well as an 11th-century tower. Documented since 1066, it may have been destroyed after Almanzor's raid in 985 and was rebuilt in the 12th century by the Hospitaller knights of Saint John of Jerusalem. It later passed through the hands of King Jaime II, the convent of Santa Clara of Oristano and the Requesens family, until the abolition of seigneurial rights in 1811.
Monument
Remains of the Castellciuró castle, also called the castle of Molins, in the municipality of Molins de Rei (Baix Llobregat), in the Collserola mountain range, next to the path of Santa Creu d'Olorda, at 155 metres of altitude. The foundation, pre-Romanesque, dates from the 8th or 10th century, with herringbone stonework; the smaller tower is from the 11th century, and the main reconstruction, from the 12th century, was carried out by the Hospitallers, with renovations up to the 16th century. It later belonged to the Order of the Temple, to King Jaume the Just and, from 1368, to the Requesens family, after Peter the Ceremonious turned it into a finished castle. Since 1971 it has belonged to the town council of Molins de Rei; its restored ruins now serve as a viewpoint and are declared a cultural asset of national interest.
Monument
Vernacular tower of the 16th century in Molins de Rei.
Activity
Main festival (festa major) of Molins de Rei dedicated to Sant Miquel, celebrated around 29 September, the town's great day. Since 1913 the Gegants Vells, Miquel and Montserrat, who traditionally only appear in Molins de Rei, have been part of its celebrations and star, together with the Gegants Nous added in 1988, in one of the most eagerly awaited moments of the festival. The floods of September 1962 came close to ruining the giants, then kept in the basements of the Municipal Market, but they were restored in time and, to mark their first fifty years, the 1963 Festa Major hosted the town's first gathering of giants with four invited pairs, the seed of the trobada (gathering) that has been held every year since 1985.
Historical milestone
The battle of Molins de Rei was fought on 21 December 1808, in the Baix Llobregat, during the Peninsular War. After breaking the blockade of Barcelona, the French general Saint-Cyr attacked the troops of General Réding again, about 18,000 men regrouped along the Llobregat line, centred on the bridge of Molins de Rei. The French feigned an attack across that bridge, but crossed via the fords of Sant Feliu and Sant Joan Despí, overrunning the Spanish left flank and rearguard; Réding's troops fled through Corbera de Llobregat, pursued for fifteen hours. The French captured 1200 prisoners, including the Count of Caldagués, and fifty pieces of artillery. The defeat left the plain open and consolidated the Napoleonic occupation of Barcelona.
Activity
The Fira de la Candelera de Molins de Rei is a multi-sector trade fair held on the first Saturday and Sunday of February, instituted by Queen Isabella II in 1852 at the request of a group of landowners and the town council itself. Born as an agricultural and livestock fair, it went on to incorporate, with industrialisation, the textile sector and, later, the automotive sector, alongside craft, antiques, collectibles, wine and cava, and food stalls, and an organic produce section, as well as exhibitions, competitions and shows. Today it covers about 50,000 square metres, brings together more than 700 exhibitors and receives about 500,000 visitors, making it one of the oldest and most crowded fairs in the Barcelona area.