Altafulla

Altafulla's origins are medieval, growing out of the campaigns of Ramon Berenguer I as he pushed into what became known as New Catalonia. By 1059 the castle was already being named in documents, though the exact founding date is unknown.

For centuries the town was held as a feudal territory by various noble families. The Requesens family took possession at some point, holding it until 1472 when it was sold to Pere de Castellet. Then, between 1669 and 1673, Francesc de Montserrat i Vives — the first Marquis of Tamarit — acquired its rights. His family, and their heirs the Suelves, kept jurisdiction over the town until the system of lordships came to an end.

Altafulla went through a prosperous period when its agricultural produce was being shipped out by sea. That prosperity was vulnerable: conflicts between Spain and Britain repeatedly blocked the trade routes and damaged the local economy. The War of Independence hit the town hard, with several rounds of looting, and a battle was fought on its outskirts between the forces of General Maurice Mathieu and those of the Baron of Eroles.

The First Carlist War found Altafulla firmly on the anti-Carlist side, but the fighting damaged the economy again and recovery was slow. It eventually came from an unexpected direction: a phylloxera plague devastated French vineyards in the mid-nineteenth century, driving up wine prices and giving the town's wine producers a much-needed boost.

The parish church of San Martín was built between 1701 and 1705 in neoclassical style. It follows a Latin cross plan with three naves and a transept. The façade carries an image of Saint Martin of Tours, and there is an unfinished square bell tower. Despite serious damage during the Civil War, the church still holds a baroque altarpiece from 1745.

The Montserrat Castle is in good condition, having been reconstructed from plans dating to an earlier period. It takes the form of an irregular polygon and reads clearly as a fortress, thanks to its gun loops and corner sentry boxes. The interior has been modified over the years, but an original courtyard and a Renaissance gallery have survived.

At the town's highest point stands the hermitage of San Antonio, built in 1717. It was funded by donations from a local fisherman, and when money ran short before the work was finished, the town's fishermen collectively pledged to give a seventh of their catch until the building was complete.

Outside the town, in the area known as Els Munts, lie the remains of a Roman villa. Excavations began in 1967 and have produced a significant number of finds, including two capitals and several marble statues. The pieces recovered are now held at the Archaeological Museum of Tarragona.