The oldest documentation found relating to Avinyonet Castle dates back to 1090. In 1257 it became the Commandery for the Knights’ Hospitaller Order and remained so until 1804. The remains of the castle are to the south of the church. We have reached a quadrangular building with a large portal and a semi-circular arch, which was probably the main entrance to the fortress. This portal opens onto an enclosure with remains of the fortification to the south as well as the church. There are other remains are also to the south and bordering of the church’s façade. These are vestiges of the walled enclosure that connected with those found in various parts of the town of Avinyonet. Most notable is a quadrangular tower, of which the lower half remains and a bolt that has been added to it. The Sant Esteve Church, inside the castle’s grounds and of the Hospital Order, is a large building which, after several reconstructions, consists of a rectangular nave with the entrance to the east and the altar at the west end, a back-to-front orientation in comparison with the traditional arrangement of Christian churches.
Photograph taken by Josep Maria Cañellas in 1888 and part of the Rubaudonadeu Collection preserved in the Fages de Climent Library in Figueres. A panoramic view of the town of Avinyonet taken from the river Manol. The hospital trust building that stands out from the rest of the town’s buildings is of particular interest. Its imposing nature, marking its hierarchy is evident in the photograph, with the bell tower standing out along with the fortified upper floor which can also be seen. Today it is the Sant Esteve d’Avinyonet Parish Church.
Literary Text
La tramuntana bufava furient (...). Feixes avall, escabellant les oliveres, baixava de la serra amb remors de monstruosa cavalcada, topava amb el punyal de cases de Vilerta, tan desvalgudes i arrupides tot vora del rost, entre els dos rius, enfellonida d'aquell entrebanc s'arremolinava parets amunt fins a les teulades, esgarrapava les teules, provant d'arrencar-les (...) empenyia les obertures foranes, malda que malda per obrir-les, feia dringar l'anella de totes les portes, bruelava en el canó de totes les xemeneies, regolfava en tots els carrerons i fugia enllà, xisclant i retorcent el brancatge despullat dels arbres
VILERTA O AVINYONET?, de Josep Pous i Pagès
This text comes from the Literary Atlas of the lands of Girona, coordinated by Narcís Jordi Aragó and Mariàngela Vilallonga and published by Girona Provincial Council in 2003
Location
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Plaça De L'església 3, 17742 Aviñonet de Puig Ventós, Provincia de Gerona, España
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