On top of the hill Montjuïc, at 173 meters above sea level, you’ll find a castle worth visiting. Originally it was a fortress, built in 1640 during the Catalan rebellion against the presence of the Castilian troops in Catalonia. It had to serve as a protection for Barcelona against the army of King Felipe IV. This simple construction was said to be built in barely 30 days.

In 1994 the fortress was converted into a citadel that stretched out over the total surface of the top of the hill. During the Spanish succession war, in 1705, English troops led by Lord Peterborough conquered the citadel. In the year 1706 it was again in the hands of King Felipe V for a short period. Finally the citadel was handed over by the English to troops of Felipe V in 1714.

In 1746 the Captain General of Catalonia thought the citadel had to be modernized, and assigned this to military engineer Juan Martín Cermeño. His plans were brought forward in 1751 and the constructions would last from 1753 to 1799. The original construction was first broken down, kitchens were made in order to feed 3000 persons, a castle-moat was assembled and no less than 120 canons were installed. The castle then got the form it still has today.

In 1808, during the Spanish independence war, the French took the castle and used it as a prison. In 1814 the Spaniards reconquered the castle. Then in 1842 Barcelona was bombed from the castle of Montjuïc by general Espartero to suppress a revolutionary rebellion. A year later, during another revolt, general Prim commanded a new bombing at which 2.500 projectiles were fired in 81 days.

In 1894 a process was taking place in the castle at which six anarchists were convicted. In 1909 there were locked down a lot of pacesetters of the Tragical Week, a series of bloody confrontations between the army and Catalan labourers supported by socialists, anarchists and republicans. The educationist Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, that was considered as the leader of the revolt, was executed there.

In 1919 more than 3.000 workers were locked down as result of a strike which lasted for 44 days and  crippled 70% of the industry. During the Spanish Civil war (1936-1939) the republicans used the castle to lock up and execute right nationalists. When in 1939 the troops of Franco took over Barcelona, the roles changed. The nationalists among others  executed the president of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Lluís Companys, in 1940.

Till 1960 a military jail was situated in the castle of Montjuïc. After that, the grounds (but not the building) were handed over to the city of Barcelona, under the rule of the land forces, and after three years of rebuilding the castle was inaugurated as military museum by Franco in 1963.

In April 2007 the castle was integrally handed over via a ministerial decision by the president of the Spanish government to the city of Barcelona. At the end of April 2008 a horseman statue of dictator Franco, that was standing there since 1963, was removed. On the 15th of June 2008 there was held a open door day to celebrate that the castle re-opened again and got a social and cultural function.

On the 20th of April 2009 the complex got the function of International Centre of Peace, governed by the city council of Barcelona, the Spanish ministry of Defence and the Generalitat of Catalonia.

To visit the castle you can take bus line 193 that leaves from Plaça d’Espanya or the cable car. The entrance of the castle is for free. You can go there every day from the beginning of October until the end of March from 09.00 till 19.00 and from the beginning of April till the end of September the complex is opened from 09.00 till 21.00. More information you’ll find on the website of the castle of Montjuïc.

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