History of Calafell

Calafell is rich in history and shows a good example of a Roman villa, as well as the Medieval castle which stands on a hill, overlooking the main town. The resort has also, always been a major fishing centre.

Around 2,500 years ago, Calafell was inhabited by a group of Iberians who constructed a massive fortress between the current centre of Calafell and Segur. When the Romans arrived, the fortress was abandoned and lay covered over until recently when archaeologists began to unearth it. It is now possible to walk through the fortress and explore the various buildings.

Calafell has a lot of history and this has been proven with many Palaeolithic sites found of established ancient villages almost forgotten. Also, the ‘Cova Foradada’, which is a cave used once as a collective grave, which the archaeologists dated the remains to the Bronze Age. The ruins of the ‘Ciudadela Iberica’ date from the VI to the II Century B.C. and have been recently renovated as they were in one time, to have them as a tourist attraction. Then, at a few steps away one can find the Roman Villa of ‘Vilarenc’ built in the I Century B.C. which still conserves the thermal baths and the smithy with more than a hundred of ironworks.

Calafell, the actual town’s name, comes out on public document for the first time in 999, when the count Ramon Borell and the countess Ermessenda sold their land of Maresme del Penedes to Gombau de Besora. Then, in 1076, Rotllan Bernat sold his land in Calafell to the noble Ramon Berenguer for the amount of 800 golden marks. In 1486 Calafell turned into an Independent Municipality, free of any possessions. Calafell was attacked in various occasions by the pirates seeking for treasures.