Agullana’s history spans very different periods: from prehistoric megaliths to the cork industry and the Catalan cultural exile of 1939. Churches and traditional festivals are also part of the picture. If you are planning a stay, you can use these themes as a guide and choose which aspects of the town you would like to focus on.
Exile history and archaeology
A permanent exhibition explores the significance and far-reaching impact of the Catalan cultural exile of 1939. Mas Perxés is also part of this history: the estate lies just outside the town, within the municipality of Agullana, and became a place of refuge during the mass exodus of 1939. The exhibition and the historic refuge offer two different ways of approaching the subject. Check the current visiting arrangements on site for the permanent exhibition; this does not imply that Mas Perxés is currently open to the public.
Another permanent exhibition focuses on the Can Bech de Baix necropolis. It is designed for a wide audience, including family visitors; check the current visiting arrangements here as well. The necropolis became a reference site for research into Late Bronze Age urnfields in the western Mediterranean. Agullana’s surviving megalithic remains are distinct from it: they date from the Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic, approximately 2500 to 1800 BC.
The megalithic monuments mentioned include the dolmens of Barraca del Lladre and Llosa de la Jaça d'en Torrent, as well as the menhirs Pedra Dreta, also known as Roc del Frare, and Menhir dels Palaus. The two dolmens lie in the forests of the Serra de Comunera, near the old cart track between Agullana and Capmany. This makes it possible to understand the sites and exhibition themes as different aspects of local archaeology, without conflating the monuments with the necropolis.
Churches, cork and local history
The religious buildings also tell stories of different periods. In terms of its size, the parish church of Santa Maria d'Agullana is considered the most spectacular example of the «Romànic III» style period between La Jonquera and Albanyà. The chapel of Santa Maria de l'Estrada is documented as far back as the 13th century, but the present-day church dates from the late 18th century. This difference in age is particularly revealing: the chapel’s documented history goes back further than the current church building.
Cork is another important part of the town’s history. Agullana was a major centre of the cork industry; cork processing there apparently began around 1750. At the start of the 20th century, the town had as many as forty cork factories. Agullana’s modernist buildings are considered evidence of the prosperity of that period.
Festivals and landscape
At the Fira de Pasqua, craftspeople offer cheese, jams, cured meats and other artisanal products. The mix of vendors may vary from one edition to the next. The traditional Aplec de Santa Eugènia takes place on Easter Monday and has a four-hundred-year-old tradition. The Festa de l'Estrada falls on the last Sunday in August. If you would like to plan your trip around one of these dates, checking the current annual programme will help you make specific arrangements.
The Serra de l'Albera is part of the surrounding landscape: Agullana lies in this transit landscape, with extensive forests of cork oaks, holm oaks and chestnut trees. Cultural history and landscape are therefore distinct points of interest. When planning your trip, you could shape your stay around your interests: archaeology and exile history, churches and the cork tradition, or a festival featuring regional products.
Discover more destinations: L'Alt Empordà, Sant Aniol De Finestres, Santa Llogaia D'àlguema, Bàscara, Massanes, Regencós, Sant Joan De Les Abadesses, Setcases
For the broader travel overview: Girona.
