Castell-Platja d'Aro

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Castell-Platja d'Aro

Province	Girona
Comarca	Baix Empordà
Population (2005)	9.239
Area	21.74 km²
Population density (2005)	424.98 /km²
Elevation	5 m
Demonym	n/a
[[Baix Empordà]]

Castell-Platja d'Aro is a large holiday resort in the middle of the Costa Brava. It is formed from two parts: Castell d'Aro is the ancient village 3 km inland build around a medieval castle and fortified church on the road form Platja d'Aro to Santa Cristina d'Aro. Platja d'Aro was originally a small fishing village on the road from Palamós to Sant Feliu de Guíxols located on a large 2 km beach. It is now a major resort popular predominantly with Catalans or villa owning Northern Europeans.

The outskirts include a number of urbanisations including Mas Nou which offers spectacular views over the coast and a championship golf course.

Along the coast connecting the main beach with the many attractive small beaches is the camí de ronda.

1 Location
2 History
3 References

[edit] Location

Castell d'Aro this located in the heart of the Costa Brava 80 km north of Barcelona. It boarders Calonge to the north, Santa Cristina d'Aro to the west, San Feliú de Guíxols to the south and the Coast to the East. Castell-Platja d'Aro occupies the eastern end of the Vall d'Aro, a narrow plain drained by the River Ridauras and located between the Mountain ranges of Cadiretes and southern end of the Gavarres. Platja d'Aro was originally a small fishing village on the highway between Palamós and San Feliú de Guíxols with a 2km long beach. It is now a major tourist resort with hotels and other commercial premises.

[edit] History

[edit] Prehistoria

The first evidence of human habitation are a number of tombs dating from the neolthic era 2500 BC in the Pinell area. Around 2000 BC, towards the end of the neolithic period, groups of humans settled in the mountains of Treumal and Vallvanera. There are a number of monuments from this period: • The Menhir of Vallbanera • The Dolmen Cova dels Moors (Cove of the Moors).

[edit] Roman

Roman ruins were discovered at the Villa de Pla de Palol dating from the 1st-4th Centuries AD. These occupy an area of 10,000 m2, and retain the majority of the patios and open spaces. The villa was part of a large agricultural estate including vineyards. It also exported clay for the manufacture of ceramics that were later exported by sea from the natural harbor of Cove Rovira.

[edit] Medieval

From the 9th century the countryside started to recover from Sarracen raides and repopulation of the Vall d’Aro begins. The first arrivals were farmers. In 881, King Carlomaghn offered the Bishop of Gerona the territory of the Vall d’Aro. The first documented reference of Platja d’Aro, in its original name of Fanals d'Amunt, appears in 968. King Lotario, confirms to Sunyer the Abbot of the monastery of San Feliú de Guíxols, his possessions, including Fanals d'Amunt and it’s church. The origin of Castell d’Aro is as the Castle of Benedormiens. The Castle was documented in 1041, when the religious authorities, the local Knights and Nobles grant the monastery of San Feliú de Guíxols the safekeeping of the castle with the obligation to protect all the Vall d’Aro, of which Fanals was an important part. In 1585 a new church is documented in Fanals de Baix, the present Fanals d'Aro. A new settlement grew around this building deserting the older Fanals d'Amunt. In 1774 an extension was completed to extend the Church of Fanals d'Aro.

[edit] Modern

During the following centuries only one municipality existed, in 1858 the area was divided with Romanyà, Bell-lloc, Santa Cristina d'Aro and Solius becoming separate from Castell d'Aro and Fanals d'Aro. This is regarded as the official creation of the two cities, Santa Cristina de Aro and Castell d’Aro. In 1843 the district was characterized by high rents, a centralized municipal model with limited suffrage. The elections of 1869 reflected the federal and republican character of Empordà and Fanals. As a result constitutional guarantees were suspended and disarmament of the popular military service ordered by Central Government. The federalists took up arms supported by the inhabitants of Fanals, they participated in the “Foc de Bisbal”, where the faced a number of government forces.

The architect Rafael Masó Valentí, was instructed by the Ensesa family, to design a new residential estate at S'Agaró. It was designed as a self contained garden city. At the same time Swimming Pools at at Sant Pol were built as well as the, the luxurious Monumental Hotel and the Hotel Gavina. In 1962 as part of new tourist development the municipality changed it’s name from Fanals d'Aro to Platja d'Aro. The council moved there offices at the same time from Castell d'Aro to Platja d'Aro. The town sought to promote itself internationally. In 1964 and offer was made for a week holiday to 50 couples celebrating their silver wedding anniversary. Another campaign focused on honeymooners with the slogan “love is found in Platja d’Aro”.

In 1970 the City Council, owner of the Castle of Benedormiens de Castell d'Aro, ordered it’s first restoration. The oldest part was conserved dating from the 12th century. In 1978 a Carnival Fiesta and in 1979 the first democratic Council was elected. In 1983 the rooms of the Castle of Benedormiens are altered for exhibition space. In 1995 the old nucleus of Castell was declared as an official Area of Interest and Conservation Area together with S'Agaró by the Generalitat de Catalunya. In 1996 a new high profile tourist campaign was started, tourists and visitors were encouraged to search the beach for shells and sea snails to obtain prizes and to participate in a prize draw for a car. In 1997 a Museum of the Wrist Watch was opened with 350 wristwatches from history.

[edit] References

Official website [1]

edit	Municipalities of Baix Empordà
Albons \| Begur \| Bellcaire d'Empordà \| La Bisbal d'Empordà \| Calonge \| Castell-Platja d'Aro \| Colomers \| Corçà \| Cruïlles, Monells i Sant Sadurní de l'Heura \| Foixà \| Fontanilles \| Forallac \| Garrigoles \| Gualta \| Jafre \| Mont-ras \| Palafrugell \| Palamós \| Palau-sator \| Pals \| Parlavà \| La Pera \| Regencós \| Rupià \| Sant Feliu de Guíxols \| Santa Cristina d'Aro \| Serra de Daró \| Tallada d'Empordà \| Torrent \| Torroella de Montgrí \| Ullastret \| Ullà \| Ultramort \| Vall-llobrega \| Verges \| Vilopriu