Route of the mills in Santa Coloma de Queralt

We leave from Fuentes de Canelles to the right along the Paseo del Gaià, on the right bank of the river. Until the mill of the Sun we follow the indications to PRC21-1 towards Pontils.

We leave the walk and continue along a path on the left that goes down to cross the river by a lever, the Matadero Dam. Construction that carried water from one mill to the other. We continue along the path along the irrigation bench. The irrigation is diverted to the orchards that remain below. We continue to the raft of the New Mill.

We pass between a section of broken wall and go down following the irrigation until in front of the cover of the New Mill. At the end of the 19th century, water flour mills were disused due to the implantation of animal-powered, steam-powered mills later, and, in 1913, by the new electrical systems.

Irrigation leads us in the aqueduct that saves the Gaià. We cross to the other side and continue to the edge of the planting stop until we find the path of the Mills. The aqueduct is a construction 32 meters long, it carried the water to the Mill of the Tower. Primitively it was formed by two semicircular arches. We take it to the left, to the southeast. We continue on the right track. We skirt the pawn farms.

The Ice Well is at the foot of the road to facilitate the transfer of snow or ice in the town with cars. Cylindrical construction closed by a false dome in the center of which there is a slab that covers the hole through which the ice was extracted. We continue straight, without deviating, continuing along the road parallel to the course of the river.

On the left and under a stone margin we can see the remains of the Pocurull mill formed by an entrance archway and a nave covered by a barrel vault. We continue straight.

We arrive at the crossroads where we find the mill of the Requesens. Also called Petronilla, it is one of the largest in the region, today in a dilapidated state like most. We continue to the left to see the mill of the Sun that is located on the banks of the Corb river. From here we undo the road until the previous crossing, we leave the indications of the road of the Lands of Gaià and continue on the PR C21-1, the road on the right that goes directly to Sant Gallard, towards Pontils. We leave a path to the right that leads to cultivation fields.

We turn left without deviating to Sant Gallard. Sant Gallard is a district of the municipality of Les Piles. It has a Romanesque church dedicated to the Virgen de la Leche. Antoni Gaudí's ancestors came from the house in front of the church. We make our way to the first crossing.

We turn left and pass in front of a beating until we reach the Pontils road. We cross the road and continue along the track that goes out before us on the other side of the road, which makes a great turn to the stop after crossing the Fontanals ditch.

We leave a path on the right that would take us to Figuerola, and continue straight until we reach La Segarra farm. The road borders the farm. We continue without deviating from the main path leaving different paths on both sides. We leave on the left the road that goes to Guialmons, and continue straight in the direction of Santa Coloma de Queralt. We take the path that goes to the right and that takes us to the hermitage of Sant Salvador de Figuerola.

The Hermitage of San Salvador de Figuerola was built in the 12th century. It has an apse with lower frieze and flared window. The entrance gate - located in the southern band - is with archivolt and abacus. Near the church, the path of Sant Gallard, we find a cross. It is made of stone, with a round base, a polyhedral spindle and finished with an iron cross. This cross was restored in 2008. We take the path on the right that leaves the entrance to the cemetery site that will take us to the Xic Bridge Ditch.

We cross the ditch and go up the side of an arranged beating leaving different paths on both sides. We cross a trough. We continue straight, until we find the road of Pontils T-201. We cross it and continue on the other side, along the path of Figuerola.

We turn left and connect with the old road of Pontils followed by a margin of dry stone, leaving on both sides of the road different paths to the entrance of Santa Coloma.

We leave the old road of Pontils that enters the town and turn right to the sanctuary of Santa María de Bell-lloc. Former convent of the Order of Mercy built in 1335. Inside is the sarcophagus of Pedro IV de Queralt and Francesca de Castellnou. The exterior highlights the Romanesque style cover. To enter the town we take the street on the right, C. Mossèn Joan Segura, which goes directly to the bell tower and we enter the county town of Santa Coloma. Any street will take us to the starting point.

Source: City Council of Santa Coloma de Queralt