The Viscountcy of Cabrera was a territory with its own system of government, administered by officials serving under the authority of the viscounts, including notaries, judges, procurators general and other officials responsible for ensuring the governance of the territory. Material remains of this administration and its governing activities can still be seen in several places throughout the Viscountcy.
The estany de Sils covered an area of approximately 7 km² and is often depicted in old maps as being larger than Banyoles. A document dating from 1660 records that Guillem Ramon de Montcada, Viscount of Cabrera, granted Francesc Villar, the owner of an ice well in Maçanet, the right to collect ice in exchange for an initial payment of 35 pounds and an annual payment of two sous in Barcelona currency. In 1740, the Duke of Medinaceli, husband of Maria Teresa de Montcada, Viscountess of Cabrera, ordered boundary stones to be placed to mark the limits of the estany. After several drainage attempts dating back to the 13th century, the process was not successfully completed until improvements to the drainage system of the séquia, begun in 1845, were finished in 1856. These works made it possible for the railway to pass through, a key event in the history of Sils.
Subscribe to the newsletter
Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan – Funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU
Local Development and Employment Officer (AODL) within the new tourism management model for La Selva. Initiative subsidised by the Public Employment Service of Catalonia as part of the Local Development Support Programmes.
