Recs Tower

The Viscountcy of Cabrera was structured through a network of castles and fortified houses, which served as the seats of political and military power for the nobility during the Middle Ages. This defensive system was complemented by a number of walled towns and watchtowers.

A square tower built in 1439 by Violant de Recs, wife of Ramon de Vilanova, who ordered its construction with the authorisation of Sança de Ximenis and Isabel de Cabrera in recognition of the services of her father, Bernat de Recs. This four-storey defensive tower has a sturdy appearance, with exposed stone façades. It was constructed using stone and roughly dressed masonry, with large blocks reinforcing the corners. The sides of the tower measure approximately 7 metres in length, and it stands about 15 metres high. Its architectural features include well-cut corner stones, several trefoil Gothic windows and a number of arrow slits. Some merlons have also been preserved on the southern façade, where the openings have semicircular arches, while those on the northern façade have corbelled or trefoil arches. In the 19th century, the tower served as a prison, hence its other name, torre de la Presó. In 1932, a water supply tank for the village was installed on the first floor and was subsequently removed during the restoration process. Although the main door is currently located on the ground floor, it was originally positioned at first-floor level on the northern façade.