History

Once they had been recovered from the Saracens, the territories of the Vall d'Aro were recovered from the 9th century onwards, capitalising on the orography of the terrain. The first settlers were farmers. It is not precisely known when the first settlement was established, although it is recorded that, in the year 881, King Charlemagne gave Teuter, the Bishop of Girona, the territory of the Vall d'Aro, where the population had already begun to expand towards the coast. The first documentary reference to Fanals d'Amunt (the original name of Platja d'Aro) appears in 968. It was made by King Lothair, confirming Sunyer as the abbot of the Monastery of Sant Feliu de Guíxols, as well as its possessions, including Fanals and its church.

Although the Vall d'Aro was fertile land conducive to farming, humble peasants weren't the only inhabitants of mediaeval Fanals. We should mention the possessions and residence of a branch of the Llavià family from the Empordà in the 14th century. Llop de Llavià, one of the members of the family, attended the Courts of Cervera in 1359 as a Fanals nobleman, while Ramon de Llavià served as abbot of the Monastery of Sant Feliu de Guíxols between 1328 and 1348. The existence of the new church of Fanals de Baix, the current-day Fanals d'Aro, was documented in 1585. After the abandonment of Fanals d'Amunt, a new settlement was formed around it. The parishes of the Vall d'Aro were incorporated into the crown in 1698, forming the royal parish of the Vall d'Aro.

On 16 September 1971, the municipal corporation agreed to include proceedings for the declaration of the old town area as a Historical-Artistic Site, encompassing the Carme, Hospital, Castell and Sol Streets, Benedormiens Castle, the parish church of Santa Maria, the square bearing the same name and Major Street.

The old town area of Castell d'Aro was officially declared a "Cultural Asset of National Interest" in 1995.

Once they had been recovered from the Saracens, the territories of the Vall d'Aro were recovered from the 9th century onwards, capitalising on the orography of the terrain.

The old town area of Castell d'Aro was officially declared a "Cultural Asset of National Interest" in 1995.

Santa Maria Church

The church was built in 1078 as the chapel of Benedormiens Castle, whose first written document dates back to 1041. The church was built in the Romanesque style, of which nothing remains due to its later extensions.

On the last day of 1078, the Bishop of Girona, Berenguer Guifré, came to consecrate the church built in honour of Saint Mary in the county of Girona, specifically in the place known as the Vall d'Aro, and placed it under the tutelage of that of Santa Cristina , dependent on the Benedictine Monastery of Sant Feliu de Guíxols.

Castell d'Aro (also known as the Vall d'Aro, due to its privileged location in the middle of the valley) grew, thanks in particular to agriculture, as it was a fertile town sheltered from the wind.

Many farmers came to work the lands, as they also enjoyed the protection of the lord of the castle. It was for this reason that a larger church was needed.

The church was expanded in 1613 and the entire interior reflected the Gothic style, as it does today. However, in 1615, during a mass, part of the church façade fell and injured some parishioners.

From that moment onwards (until the work on the current façade was completed), the entrance to the church had to be moved to the door under the bell tower, where it remains, walled-up and with the year, 1782, still visible.

In the 17th century, the church appeared as a parish independent of that of Santa Cristina, forming a single district together with that of Fanals d'Aro. The image of Saint Mary presides over the façade, which, although it is Baroque (1784), preserves the mediaeval style that still pervades the old town area of Castell d'Aro.

Benedormiens Castle

Benedormiens Castle, which gave rise to the town of Castell d'Aro, is documented for the first time in 1041, when the religious authorities, the nobles and the knights of the territory (including Countess Ermessenda, the Bishop of Girona, Pere Roger, Abbot Llandric of the Monastery of Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Gausfred Vidal and his wife, Quíxol) delivered the custody of the castle to the Monastery of Sant Feliu de Guíxols, imposing the obligation to protect the entire Vall d'Aro from any attacks by Muslims.

The town grew around the castle, while the more distant country houses were fortified and watchtowers were built. The castle was burnt down during the War of the Remences in 1462. Renovation work was performed on the castle between the 17th and 18th centuries. An accidental explosion destroyed the fortress in 1879. Nowadays there are barely any remains of the building's old appearance.

In 1970 , the Town Council, the owner of the castle, entrusted the Girona archaeologist Miquel Oliva with the first restoration. The oldest part, dating back to the 11th century and standing closest to the church, was preserved. The rooms of the castle were adapted for exhibitions in 1983.

Several archaeological interventions were carried out in the old town area throughout 1999 , revealing the defensive structures outside the castle walls, including the moat dug into the natural rock, the small stone bridge and the access ramp to the gate. Industrial-type structures related to metallurgy have been found in the moat. The castle's loss of functionality led to its use for other purposes from the 16th century onwards. It served as a palace-residence rather than a military fortification. The area began to be used as a parish cemetery in the first half of the 17th century. There has been a great deal of debate about the etymological origin of the name given to the castle: Benedormiens.

Historian Pella i Forgas proposes two possibilities regarding its origin. The first suggests an Arabic origin. The Arab Beni-dorm family was famous, giving its name to some places in Catalonia and Valencia. He also indicates the possibility that it's a word from the Middle Ages reflecting the security and rest to be found in the castle.

The castle has five rooms that bear the names of historical figures related to its history.

Benedormiens Castle currently hosts important exhibitions and events featuring the traditional culture of the municipality and also houses the Municipal Art Fund, enabling visitors to view the collection of works of art which, since 1983, each artist who has exhibited at the Castle has left as donations to the town, including Dalí, Goya, Grau Garriga, Subirachs, Modest Cuixart, Navarro Vives and many others.