The exuberance of the vine-leaf and the permanence of stone

At the foot of the castle of Mediona, the town of Sant Quintí de Mediona stands on the mountain, and was created at the same time as the fortress. Its origins, as with most of the local towns, are linked to the border between Arab and Christian lands during the time of occupation (8^th-9^th centuries AD) and, in fact, are the product of the inevitable mixing that occurs in neighbouring areas.

In this case, it seems that it was the guest house of a priory of the Monastery in Ripoll that led to the establishment of a stable population during the expansion of territory between the 10^th and 11^th centuries. The house or monastic cell, which was constructed under the protection of Ripoll, can still be visited today and is the best place to start a tour around the town, in Plaça de l’Església. There are few original remains as time has not been kind to the building, but there are some details from the past. At the Old Rectory (Rectoria Vella), you’ll find what was once one of the access points to the property. Also still in place is a gateway with a tapered stone arch and sculpted cross, as well as a number of windows decorated with renaissance reliefs. If you’re a fan of visiting churches, you will quickly recognise the arcades of the cloister that, even though they no longer serve their original function, are a reminder of what was once here. Alongside the monastic house, the priory of Sant Quintí de Meniona also has a church, nowadays the town’s parish. Although it has no original remains, the main door has vestiges of renaissance style.  

Come out of the church and take a leap through time: there are two activities to choose from, it’s up to you which you do, one or other, or both. The first is the paper mill of Ca l’Oliver, which started operations at the start of the 18^th century. You can get there by walking from the old town along the Camí de Ca l’Oliver path. The second, on the other side of the town, are the Fountains de les Deus, at the foot of the river Torrent del Duc, from where a good number of walking routes around the town begin. If you do both activities one after another, it’ll be a good way to see the whole of Sant Quintí de Meniona. Just by the fountains, you’ll find a place where you can enjoy various adventure sports, which will doubtless help you work up an appetite before lunch. If you’ve still got some energy left over, within the municipality of Sant Quintí de Mediona there are around 50 natural springs – what could be better for coping with the summer heat?

A cradle of popular culture, a political and social epicentre, and a symbol of local, Vilafranca del Penedès is a place where you must stop during your trip. The best time to go is, without doubt, at the end of August, when the heat has subsided slightly and, more importantly, Sant Fèlix arrives on the day of the town’s Festa Major (principal festival). The city is transformed for five days, with the streets full of life and fire. During the festivities, there will be a human tower performance in Plaça de Sant Fèlix, at which point, the vital energy of all Vilafranca will be concentrated in this one place and moment.

As well as the specific festivals, the city provides a wide range of notable tourist attractions. One option is to go hiking among the vines and cover, whether walking or cycling, the four kilometres to the Pujols wood. If, on the other hand, you want to stay in the city, we have two suggestions. The first itinerary is the modernista route, which will let you admire the arrival of modernity and the progress of Vilafranca at the end of the 19^th century; a visit inside the Casa Miró is not to be missed. The second, the medieval route, will lead you through the historic centre of the city and introduce you at first hand to two key events in the history of Catalonia: the death of king Pere el Gran (Peter the Great), in the Royal Palace, and the events that led to the Concórdia de Vilafranca. The signing of this agreement resulted in the 15^th-century Catalan civil war between the royal Trastàmara family, who at that time ruled Catalonia, and the Generalitat, the Catalan governing institution.