First documented in 1021. We know that at the end of the 13th century the fortress was in a poor condition, perhaps due to the attack of the army of James I the Conqueror, who was campaigning against the rebel nobility. In 1381, John I, Count of Empúries, in confrontation with Bernat Alemany of Orriols, bombarded the castle with stone projectiles. As it stands today, the palace owes its shape to the reconstruction that took place in the 16th and 18th centuries as a large fortified house, with two sentries and crenels for firing weapons from, as well as the rooms which are distributed around the central inner courtyard. From the main portal there are stairs leading to the upper floors, located under a large lowered voussoir arch with an engraved central shield. Today, the dining room, located on the ground floor, the large hall and the cellar are noteworthy areas of this palace.
Photograph from the Esther Llorenç Collection, kept in the Alt Empordà Regional Archive. The palace’s façade with its beautifully decorated window above the main door can be seen here. It’s a photograph which was taken in 1995 and, today, after some renovations, it still maintains its majesty and solidity. A curious historical fact is that it seems that Napoleon stayed at this palace during the French War in the early 19th century.
Literary Text
The speed (of the carriage) did not decrease until we reached Bàscara, where we had to cross the mighty river Fluvià; the current was overwhelming, but there was no bridge. The passengers got off on foot to look for boats to take them across, while the loaded carriage tried its luck to reach the opposite bank. A few peasant farmers from Bàscara came to help us; they were all bare-chested; they pushed our carriage, others pulled the mules, and in front of them went the true driver, one who knew the riverbed well; in the deepest part, the water reached their chests (...)
PROBLEMS CROSSING THE RIVER, by Hans Christian Andersen
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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Travessia Del Castell 1, 17468 Báscara, Provincia de Gerona, España
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