Castellfollit de la Roca

Castellfollit de la Roca is a municipality in the region of La Garrotxa, and it is one of the smallest towns in Catalonia, with an area of about 0.73 km ² and a population of around 1,000 inhabitants. The town is part of the La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park.

The image that Castellfollit de la Roca offers us is spectacular since the town is located at an altitude of 296 meters on a 50-meter-high basaltic cliff ( the Castellfollit cinglera ) formed thanks to the erosive action of the Fluvià and Toronell rivers. on the volcanic remains of thousands of years ago. From the road, just before arriving, we can see a fantastic view of the cliffs and the town. It is not uncommon to find images and paintings of the town throughout Catalonia and abroad.

Inside the town we find the old town, a must to see its narrow streets of medieval origin built mostly by volcanic rocks. It is also recommended to visit the end of the cliff, where the Plaza Josep Pla is located, a fantastic viewpoint from where you can contemplate the valley of the two rivers. Another option to contemplate the horizon is to go up to the bell tower of the church of San Salvador located in front of the square, it is a 13th-century Renaissance building with a square floor plan that was destroyed during the Civil War and that today is a center cultural.

A little further from the old town we find the bell tower dedicated to San Roque with a clock from 1925 that was built by a monarch of La Garrotza as a sign of gratitude for the support that the town gave him to become a deputy of the Cortes.

As a curiosity to mention that it was in Castellfollit de la Roca where the painter Josep Berga y Boix began his artistic career at the end of the 14th century. Many of his works were destroyed when the church was burned during the Civil War.