Besalu,the Picturesque Medieval Town... - Secret World
Besalú, 17850, Provincia di Girona, Spagna
by Lara Kipling
Besalu is one of Most Picturesque Medieval Town in Spain. The town is located at the foot of the Pyrenees, is a medieval town and one of the most economically and socially influential towns in Calalonia. This town has a relatively small area, only about 5km² and is the bridge span of the two rivers Capellades and Fluvia. Therefore, the name Besalú is also derived from the Latin word “bisuldunum” which means fortress located on a mountain between two rivers. The town of Besalú was built in 785 after the Frankish kings took power in Western Europe. Later, when the Calingians took over the region and drove away all the Moors, Besalú was merged with the county of Girona and served as a junction between the two bodies of water. It was not until 878, after Besalú was ruled by Guifre El Pilos, that the town officially became an independent autonomous place. Through many transitions of power, in 1111, after Bernard III took power and died, Besalú came under the management of the Barcelona Common House. From the 20th century, the town of Besalú quickly became the center of the trade of agricultural products, handicrafts or textiles… of Catalonia. The Viejo Bridge was constructed between the 11th and 17th centuries over the Fluvià River as it passed through Besalú, and it ultimately served as the backdrop for a good number of cinematographic projects inspired by medieval times. The old Jewish quarter, the church of Sant Vicenc, and the monastery of Sant Pere are also interesting stops.