The Dominican convent of Castelló d'Empúries was founded in 1317 at the initiative of Ponç VI, count of Empúries between 1313 and 1322, who had borrowed the necessary funds to carry it out as he had promised to the preachers. A commemorative tablet of that foundation is preserved in the cloister.
The convent would have been established in a place surely located outside the wall at that time, although the possibility that it was within the walls has also been mentioned. The first prior of this house was Ponç de Monclús and one of the friars of the first period was Dalmau Moner, later closely linked to Sant Domènec of Girona and venerated as a saint. The county house of Empúries would be the protector of this convent, Ponç VI was buried in the presbytery of the convent church, to this tomb would be added that of Pere I of Empúries (1325-41). In the second half of the 14th century, the palace of the Counts of Empúries had to be rebuilt, or perhaps built, a work carried out by Joan I between 1371-1372. This palace would be located on land next to the Dominican convent.
In 1401, Count Pere II, son of Joan I, handed over that construction to the Dominicans, at the time when the county passed into the hands of the Crown. Count Enric II (1458-1522) built a second palace near the Sant Domènec gate, inside the town. In the middle of the 17th century, the Reapers' War seriously damaged the Dominican convent and because of this, in 1698 the construction of the second convent began, inside the city and next to the wall, where the new county palace had been built. The work began in 1698 and continued during the first half of the 18th century. With the 19th century came obstacles, the War of Independence and the definitive exclaustration of the Dominican community (1835). From that moment on the building had various uses.
Now there is the church, built between 1701 and 1767 taking advantage of one of the towers of the wall, and the cloister surrounded by outbuildings. In the galleries of this cloister, some lapidary elements found during the excavations are preserved, such as capitals and two commemorative inscriptions: from the first foundation in 1317 and from the first stone of the second convent, from 1698. Now the site is occupied by the City Council offices.
Castellón de Empúries1 (officially in Catalan Castelló d’Empúries) is a Spanish municipality and town in the province of Gerona, in the autonomous community of Catalonia. Belonging to the Alto Ampurdán region, it has a population of 11,611 inhabitants (INE 2022).
Physical geography
The municipality is located about 17 m above sea level and has an area of 42.3 km², which includes the Marismas del Ampurdán natural park. It has two population centers: the medieval center of Castellón de Empurias in the interior, and the residential marina of Ampuriabrava.
History
The first mention of Castellón de Ampurias (la vila Castilione) dates back to the year 879. Around 1064 the counts of Ampurias, who had their residence in San Martín de Ampurias (la vila d'Empúries, heir to the city of Ampurias ), they decide to move their residence and, with it, the capital of the county, to Castellón.4 In that same year, on September 9, the church of Santa María, a structure still in Romanesque style, was consecrated for the first time.5 In 1492, by decree of the Catholic Monarchs, the Jews who resided in the populous Jewish quarter (call), which had about 300 inhabitants, were expelled.6 Inside there were two synagogues, of which few remain. remains.78 The period of splendor of the town lasts until around the 16th century, when the population remains relatively stagnant. The historic center still preserves a good part of its medieval layout and appearance, with arcaded squares, palaces and monasteries.