FRUIT TOURISM

Historic Aitona

Explore the most emblematic streets of the old town and let yourself be transported to medieval Aitona, reliving the most splendid moment of the town, when the Montcada family formed the powerful Barony of Aitona.

Aitona Castle:

visit at arranged times

History

Numerous archaeological remains within the municipality indicate the presence of population settlements as early as the end of the Late Bronze Age II (1400-1200 BC).

While the urban center of Aitona has its origin in a castle (like the nearby places of Seròs, Carratalà and Gebut).

Aitona did not fall into Christian hands until the 1145-49 campaign, during the division of the territory among the settlers. It belonged to the crown (like Mequinenza and Seròs) until 1212, when Constança d'Aragó, the natural daughter of Pere I, brought these three towns as her dowry upon marrying the seneschal Guillem Ramon de Montcada. These towns formed the powerful barony of Aitona, centered on the castle of Aitona.

In 1233, Constança was visited by her brother Jaume I and he confirmed her possession of Aitona, Seròs and Soses, in accordance with the will of Pere I. The barony thus remained in the hands of the powerful lineage of the Montcada under the branch of the barons of Aitona.

Sixteenth-century travelers (Henri Cock, J.B. Lavanha, Barthélemy Joly) concurred in describing the great agricultural wealth of the Aitona area, with its abundant irrigated land (orchards and fruit trees), well-cultivated, and approximately 200 inhabitants. The expulsion of the Moriscos, which severely affected Aitona (and also Seròs), represented a serious setback. The expulsion took place in 1610.

The wars of the 17th and 18th centuries (the Catalan Revolt and the War of Succession) negatively impacted the municipality. Once again, we find ourselves in a border region, and, as can be deduced from the existing documentation, Aitona was temporarily abandoned and repopulated a few months later.

The population organized a prominent militia during the French War (actions in Fraga, Mequinenza —where 300 men fought commanded by Joan Bernadó alongside Palafox— and Alcubierre) and several residents of Aiton were executed by the French in Lleida.

The somatén was still maintained during the First Carlist War.

The livestock fairs in Aitona were very popular in the mid-19th century, and various measures were taken to support the sector (regulation of irrigation by the Remolins canal in 1852, new roads and highways in 1863—the Lleida-Alcarràs-Mequinenza route—, etc.). In 1894, the Aitona Residents' Association was created to promote the construction of the bridge over the Segre River.

Heritage

Aitona is a municipality brimming with cultural life and boasting a rich and diverse historical, architectural, and archaeological heritage. Its importance and heritage value have led to a large number of its existing elements being declared BCIL (Local Cultural Assets) and BCIN (National Cultural Assets), thus receiving legal protection from the Generalitat of Catalonia, which considers them among the most important assets of Catalan cultural heritage.

Church of San Antolí

Built in the Baroque style, some consider it the cathedral of the Baix Segre region because it is of unusual dimensions for a town of just over two thousand inhabitants.

San Joan de Carratala

The Romanesque hermitage of Sant Joan de Carratalà, with its semicircular apse, is a Hospitaller construction. It is believed to have been built on the site of a former mosque.

Village of Genó

Archaeological site from the last phase of the Bronze Age, 11th century BC. Discovered in 1955, the settlement occupies about 1,040 m² and is one of the most important of this period in western Catalonia and possibly the rest of the country.

Aitona Castle

On a hill overlooking the village of Aitona lie the remains of what was once the castle-residence of the Montcada family, Marquesses of Aitona. The preserved section reveals a quadrangular structure with circular towers at the corners. The towers closest to the river are the best preserved. These structures appear to date from the late Middle Ages or early modern period, but they likely conceal earlier structures.

Viewpoint of San Joan de Carratala

At the top of the hill that houses the hermitage of San Juan de Carratalà, you can find a spectacular viewpoint that allows you to glimpse fantastic panoramic views of the Segre valley and is especially attractive during the flowering of the peach trees and in autumn, when the leaves turn golden.

Chapel of Sant Gaietà

The church was designed in 1735 by the master builder Marià Batiste and commissioned to the master builder Agustí Biscarri. Being a building with a basically rectangular floor plan, it consists of a main nave with two interconnected side chapels on each side, a transept, and a presbytery.

Cathedral of the Masos of Volta

It is a monumental 19th-century (circa 1860-1870) dry-stone rural construction, designed to serve as a refuge for farmers and their animals, thus avoiding long journeys to the village. Built by excavating into the hillside and using the earth as a mold for its large barrel vault, this structure stands out for its thermal efficiency and functionality: its flat roof served as a threshing floor, while its interior housed living quarters and stables. Considered an architectural gem of the Segrià region, it also has a water cistern and has withstood the test of time and even fires thanks to its robust construction.

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