Portal Roig i el Rafalí
Restoration and value of the walled defensive complex of the “Portal Roig i el Rafalí”
Beside La Font d'En Carròs city centre, on the peak of the village, we can find the remains of a defensive architectural ensemble known as "Portal Roig" (Red gate) wall and bastion. More commonly known as "El Rafalí", it was built from the 14th to the 16th centuries, aimed to defend the East and South borders of the village and its roads.
Its defensive constitution, its strategic site and the variety of its construction techniques make of it one of the most prominent ethnological assets of the town. In addition, it is historically linked with two of the most influential families of the period: the Carròs and the Centelles.
Over time, the need of a defensive structure for the populations declined. Therefore, the use of the ensemble changed radically, from a defensive and military purpose to becoming assimilated in the urban fabric. A part of the structures were reused to attach residential buildings or to terrace the land with agricultural intentions. Nowadays, it contains a botanical garden and an archaeological site.
Of its original polygonal plan, 150 metres of wall structures have been preserved. They are characterized by the use of a traditional construction technique for earth and lime walls, traditionally known as "tapia" walls.
In the first phase of intervention, the most damaged walls were consolidated, recovering their original geometry, in order to stop their deterioration process. It was performed under the criteria of minimal intervention and compatibility of the materials and techniques with the original remains.
