Vilopriu combines a historic town centre with a landscape between the Ter and Fluvià rivers. The castle, Sant Pere Church and a cohesive group of stone houses give the town a distinct cultural and historical character. At the same time, the Gran volta pel Baix Empordà cycling route passes through Vilopriu. If you are weighing up the town’s history against a cycling route as the focus of your trip, these features can help you decide.
Town Centre and Hilly Landscape
Vilopriu lies on the left bank of the Ter, in a landscape of low, rounded hills that form the watershed between the Ter and FluviĂ rivers. This brings together two distinct geographical details: its location on the left bank of the Ter and the hills that form the watershed between the rivers. When planning your trip, you can consider the historic buildings in the town centre and its setting in the hills as separate aspects of the destination.
A Cohesive Group of Stone Houses
The old town is centred around a central area with Sant Pere Church and the castle. It forms a cohesive group of one- or two-storey stone houses with tiled roofs, built between the 16th and 18th centuries. These architectural features complement one another: stone describes the material, the one or two storeys the height, and the tiled roofs the roof style. Together, they describe not just individual houses, but the character of the group as a whole.
Some door lintels add details about the individual houses. They bear the owners’ names, occupations and/or the date of construction. Depending on the lintel, different details are highlighted: names, occupational designations or a date. If you are interested in the town’s architecture, you can distinguish between the features of the old town as a whole and these details of individual houses.
The Castle and Sant Pere: Two Historical Timelines
Vilopriu Castle dates back to the 12th century and was remodelled in the 15th century; it continues to shape the townscape. Its architectural features include a rectangular floor plan, a central courtyard of arms, a rectangular tower and sloping walls. The castle’s origins and remodelling belong to different periods in its history. Alongside this chronology, the courtyard, tower and walls offer concrete details about its architecture.
Sant Pere Church is documented as a parish church from the 13th century; according to other accounts, this designation dates back to 1078. The town centre thus brings together two different historical reference points: the castle’s origins and later remodelling are distinguished, while Sant Pere is described in terms of its long history as a parish church. Together with the central town centre, the church and castle explain why the old town is described as a cohesive historic structure.
Vilopriu on the Cycling Route
The Gran volta pel Baix EmpordĂ cycling route passes through Vilopriu and also includes Santa Cristina d’Aro, Sant Feliu de Guixols, Palafrugell, Begur, Torroella de MontgrĂ, Albons, La Pera, La Bisbal d’EmpordĂ and Calonge. Vilopriu is therefore both a town with a clearly described historic centre and part of a named cycling route that takes in other towns. These are different considerations when deciding on a trip: you can focus on the town’s history or visit Vilopriu as part of the cycling route.
More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Gaüses, Argelaguer, Bolvir, Sant Martà Del Clot, Besalú, Maçanet De La Selva, Sant Andreu Salou, Sant Joan De Les Abadesses
For the overview of destinations: Girona.
