IBERIAN VILLAGE OF THE CASTELLET DE BANYOLES

Discovered in 1912, the site of Castellet de Banyoles is one of the most important testimonies of the Iberian culture in Catalonia. Its strategic position allowed the control of the river trade between the coast and the interior. The site, which covers more than 4,000 hectares, was accessed by two pentagon-shaped defensive towers (whose bases are still clearly visible!). The towers extend over the remains of the defensive wall of nearly 2 meters wide that once surrounded the village. Its internal plan is composed of a major axis of circulation traced in the length, from which the streets that led to the various districts start. Archaeological excavations in 1928 brought to light the "Treasure of Tivissa" (now kept in the Archaeological Museum of Barcelona), a collection of gold and silver objects, Iberian-Roman coins and ceramics, including a beautiful engraved patera that has been linked to the Iberian cult. The village of Castellet de Banyoles, inhabited between the 6th and 2nd centuries B.C., bears witness to the first Iberian period. It was probably destroyed during the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage. If you are interested in archaeological remains, although only the foundations of the village remain, the site of Castellet de Banyoles is worth a visit, especially since access is free and the visit is punctuated by explanatory panels so that you do not miss any important points.