HISTORY

The History of the Castle

History is dead when you cannot relive it. Therefore Castell d’Empordà is a much more interesting guardian of Spanish cultural heritage than those inaccessible private castles and often static museums. During your stay at Castell d’Empordà you will be impregnated with its past automatically. Not during lectures but just by staying in and around the hotel, enjoying conversation, good food and excellent wines.

1301 The earliest document in which Castell d’Empordà is mentioned dates back to March 18th, 1301.

1413 The Margarit family acquires the castle by a marriage union.

1494 Pere Margarit, a captain sailing under the flag of Christopher Colombus, discovers Isla Margarita.

1600 The chapel of Maria del Remei, meaning ‘remedy’ and referring to her healing power, is constructed adjacent to the castle. Up to this day, this sacred place is celebrated by the local people every year on the second Sunday of October.

1973 Salvador Dalí wants to buy the castle for his wife Gala, paying for it with his art. But the owner, Pedro Arpa, preferred cash. Instead Dalí bought Pubol’s Castle.

1999 Already abandoned for more than 18 years the castle falls into the caring hands of Albert Diks and Margo Vereijken, founders of the present hotel-restaurant Castell d’Empordà.