Vilassar de Dalt

Records of Vilassar de Dalt go back to 978, making it one of the older documented settlements in the region. The town grew up around its castle and parish church over the following centuries. In 1875, a cluster of houses that had developed closer to the sea broke away to become a separate municipality, Vilassar de Mar, leaving the original hilltop town to carry the "de Dalt" name — meaning, simply, the one up above.

The castle is the centrepiece of the old town. Already documented in 1262, it was declared a historic-artistic monument in 1931, and its cylindrical tower and walls are thought to be older still. It has been restored several times over the centuries. Inside, it holds a remarkable private archive of more than 8,000 parchments and 70 manuscripts — one of the most significant collections of its kind. Ownership of the castle passed through several noble families: the Sant Vicenç family took it in 1322, followed by the Desbosc family, and later the Oms, the Copons (marquises of Moyà), and finally the Sarriera family, who held the titles of Marquis of Santa María de Barberà and Marquis of La Manresana.

Beyond the castle, the surrounding area has prehistoric remains including the dolmen known as the Roca d'en Toni, the burial chambers of the Cova d'en Pau, the granite rock formation called Cau de la Granota, and the Cova d'en Joan. Roman traces survive too, in the form of kilns and the remains of a Roman family burial site.

The town also has two museums: the Museu Cau del Cargol, dedicated to molluscs, and the Museu Municipal Masía Can Banús. Among the notable buildings in the old centre are Cal Noi Baiau, Cal Notari, the Can Mañé textile factory, Can Sabater, the Centre Vilassarenc, and the Teatre La Massa.