The Castle of Can Taió (El. Castell is a real pearl of its owner, Miquel Gomis i Güell. Infected by nineteenth century romanticism, Gomis decided to build a castle with a design similar to older castles, and its construction lasted until 1929. Located in Barcelona province, Catalonia, Spain.
The hiking guide El Rodal de Sabadell (1936) written by Josep Rossell describes Can Taiò Castle as “a modern construction and although it is a collection of imitations of the most famous Catalan monuments, it is interesting to trace and study its evocative significance”. The entrance door is a faithful copy of the one in Poblet and the walls are fragments of the city of Carcassonne; a side part of the building is equal to the beautiful Gothic façade of the Generalitat gallery and some portals and windows are reproductions of other architectural jewels from different places. Overall, it is a grand building, rich in detail and very colorful. This eclectic but inhospitable building has only one bathroom and no heating or hot water.
The estate on which the castle was built has its origins in the eighteenth century and had two constructions, one known as Casa Miró on which the castle would be built and Can Taió, that of the farmer who would give the name to the estate and the current neighborhood in which it is integrated.
During the civil war, the castle was first occupied by members of the pro-independence party Estat Català, which was shot dead by the “Batallón de la Muerte” of CNT-FAI, which was part of the international militias. At the end of the war, the Generalitat studied the possibility of creating a concentration camp within its walls.
The end of the war returned the property to the Gomis, who sold the building to the Provincial Board of Minors. With democracy, it passed into the hands of the Generalitat, which has a child protection center there.
Situated 20 minutes by car from Barcelona.
Coordinates: 41.5236° N, 2.1774° E
