Olèrdola, the city of the rebel prince

Barcelona"Olèrdola was, after Barcelona, ​​the second most important city between the 10th and early 12th centuries, and it is the site from which we can explain the medieval period," says archaeologist Núria Molist, head of the Olèrdola Archaeological Museum. At 350 metres above sea level, on a rocky platform overlooking the Penedès plain, the mountain ranges and the Mediterranean Sea, this site is one of the most important in Catalonia. It has been excavated for decades, and is a source of knowledge about how people lived in the High Middle Ages, but the interpretation centre, opened in 1971, has become obsolete. For this reason, with an investment of 424,861 euros from the Next Generation funds, part of the castle, the Roman watchtower from the Republican period, will be recovered in the coming months and the museography will be completely renovated. A helicopter and animals were used to bring all the necessary materials for the works to the top of Sant Miquel Hill.

The great growth of Olèrdola ran parallel to the expansion towards the south and the conquest of new territories undertaken by Count Sunyer I of Barcelona-Girona-Osona, who governed from 911 to 947. Roman allas and had the castle built between 925 and 930. We should not imagine a large castle, because it was used as an administrative management centre," explains Molist. Count Sunyer gave the best lands to nearby families or those of his lineage, which led to the arrival of new settlers, who settled within the walls, and the transfer of the pre-existing population and part of the new arrivals to the neighbourhoods that were outside: that of Santa María (Pla dels Albats) and the "caves" or shelters.

One of the unique features of this site is that there are two necropolises that have been excavated and documented over the years. The excavations, however, have shown that many adults were buried there, and that it stopped working after the Almoravid attack in 1107. "The wealthy classes were simply buried in one cemetery, and those who lived outside the walls were buried in the other," says Molist. In both cemeteries, the graves are dug into the rock. "They are the first documented, and that is why for a long time this type of tomb was called smelling of smelt. Now the term anthropomorphic is used more often, and they have been documented in Scotland, Greece, Portugal, Sicily...", explains Molist.

Large landowners

The steep orography and the unevenness conditioned the urban planning, houses, workshops and roads, which were adapted to the terrain by means of terraces. The core was densely populated and the houses were built on Iberian and Roman remains. "The domestic spaces were quite simple, but their owners were large landowners who had a diversified economy: they had cattle, mills, vineyards, fields of crops and pasture... Some were acquiring and gaining land and others were losing it," explains Molist.

The excavations have shown that there were many vineyards and a lot of material related to the consumption and production of wine has been found, such as the remains of a large medieval winery, between the Roman cistern and the cliff on the west side, with two presses where grapes were pressed and a winery, which

"We know that at that time people drank a lot more wine than now, because it was safer than water, from a hygienic point of view, and it contained more protein, but there was a lot of surplus," explains the archaeologist. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to trace where those litres of wine that were not consumed went. "With the Romans and Iberians it is easier because there are amphorae, but in medieval times wooden boots or leather containers were used, which are organic materials that do not last; therefore, we cannot know where the wine that was not consumed by the person was destined. Probably in Barcelona or also in the lands of Al-Àndal,"

The decline of Olèrdola began in the mid-11th century, after the revolt led by Mir Geribert. The son of Borrell II, second cousin of Ramon Berenguer I and also cousin of Bishop Guislabert I of Barcelona, ​​​​inherited Olèrdola and considerably expanded his estate with two weddings. Historical documentation details that "he was the nobleman with the most lands, the most rights and the most authority in the Penedès Mark and proclaimed himself prince of Olèrdola". It is not really known what he wanted, whether to create an independent county south of Barcelona, ​​​​oust Count Ramon Berenguer I and take all the power or show his hierarchical superiority to the rest of the nobles. Whatever the case, he did not succeed and ended up submitting to the count. He was forced to compensate him with lands and money, and to swear loyalty. Mir Geribert and his son ended up dying in Tortosa, in a military expedition against the castle of Móra d'Ebre.

Olèrdola ended up being depopulated. Partly also because the population preferred to live at a lower altitude and closer to the communication routes and ended up moving to the current Vilafranca del Penedès.

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