Empordaguia

Requesens Castle is very near the permeable French border, on the Western side of the Parque Natural de Interes Nacional de la Albera and under the shadow of the 1.257 meters high Puig Ventos. It sits majestically on a 511 meters high hill, suggesting possible mysteries within its spectacular surroundings. During our short trip we learnt that various scenes of the films: “The Perfume” and “The Knight of the Dragon” were filmed there: another incentive to visit a castle full of intrigues and emotions.

We travelled by car, but throughout the trip we ran into a number of well trained cyclists as well as serious mountaineers. as this is an important crosspoint in the Pyrenees.  A walk from the picturesque village of Cantallops to the castle takes about 2 hours.  We continued by car on a non paved curvy road through thick forests of holm oaks, cork oaks, chestnuts, pine trees... all of them fully representative of the local flora.  Small rivers kept us company during our short trip and a few kilometers away we found the Font Rovellada, a spring of fresh and ferrous water that leaves a layer of iron on its bed.  Signs point to the dolmens of Puig Rodo and Coll de Medas reminding us that these land has been inhabited for many centuries. On the same road we also find signs pointing to two millenary ice wells.
Aside the local, historical or nationalistic myths, Requesens has a very long and mysterious past. The name possibly comes from a gothic character: Recosindo. Throughout the centuries the people from Figueres would go to the castle on a procession at the beginning of June, as the leyend claimed it  as the birthplace of the Tramuntana where they could ask heaven to placate the winds and provide good crops.  They would go down afterwards with branches of Ibex Aquifolium (holly) which according to Plinius was given extensive powers, as if they were magic wands that provided command and defense.
The castle has seen different owners: from the Rossello and Empuries Counts, the Viscount of Rocaberti and Perelada Count to the Duque of Infantado.  Currently it is a private property and in order to visit, we had to retrieve the key from the “La Cantina” restaurant in the hamlet of Requesens.  This is the place where we stopped for lunch and tasted its magnificent home made cooking sitting under two formidable horse chestnuts.

We got lost throughout ruined rooms with walls covered with graffiti, staircases, dark hallways and throughout marvelous abandoned gardens that had splendid views over the Emporda plain and the bay of Roses.  A worthwhile trip that can be extended by spending the night in the “Refugi del Forn de Calç” where you can enjoy a stay in the midst of nature.// MARISA ESCRIBANO