The City Council of Vandellòs i l'Hospitalet de l'Infant and Cossetània Edicions publish a book on the history of Castelló, by Meritxell Blay
Beatriz Higueras, Head of communication of the City Council of Vandellòs i l'Hospitalet de l'Infant
The work, by Meritxell Blay, was presented on September 28, as part of the Vandellòs Festival to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Masia de Castelló Association
Castelló: viewpoint of the Camp de Tarragona from the Vandellòs mountains is the title of the last book published by the City Council of Vandellòs i l'Hospitalet de l'Infant and Cossetània Edicions within the "Our roots" collection. This book, by the philologist Meritxell Blay i Boquera, is the result of the analysis of the history of this town located in the municipality, through documentary and archaeological sources.
It should be borne in mind that in the autumn of 2014, the Masia de Castelló Association commissioned the drafting of a study project on the origins of the town, based on two main actions: documentary research and archaeological analysis. Thus, in May 2015, with the approval and funding of the City Council of Vandellòs i l'Hospitalet de l'Infant, archaeological excavations were conducted by the medievalist archaeologist Carmen Subirana. This study confirmed the medieval past of the town and its tower.
The bulk of the work focuses on dating the origin of the farmhouse, and all the evidence allows to place its settlement in the second third of the thirteenth century. The author completes the study with the evolution of the town in different periods, until the nineteenth century, a prelude to a moment of growth that will be definitively interrupted in the middle of the last century, when towards the fifties the last family left town.
During the presentation of this book, which took place last Friday, September 28, in the framework of the Vandellòs Festival of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Association Masia de Castelló, the mayor congratulated Meritxell Blay "for the methodological care in the investigation and treatment of documentary sources ". "The importance of the work lies not only in the study of the documentary sources and in the evidence that concludes the archaeological excavation, but this information makes it possible for all the descendants, the Association and all, to have a very exhaustive knowledge that it must become the basis of Castelló's heritage preservation, "he added.
The mayor also congratulated the Masia de Castelló Association for the work of recovery of the town that has been carried out during these 20 years. As explained by one of the members of the entity, Xavi Espelta, in the prologue, today nineteen houses, four corrals and three patios have been recovered. Every year, in addition, different parties and activities that give life to the town are organized in the town: in the summer, the Rustic Festa and the Nit Lírica; in winter, the festival of Santa Llúcia and the Pessebre dels Estels; and also work camps, excursions, etc.
For all this, Espelta thanked the involvement and collaboration of many volunteers who have passed through the Association during this time, and the owners who have given the houses or have left to use the buildings and grounds during the activities; as well as the support of the consistory.
