There is an amazing town in Catalonia, where no tourist has yet gotten lost in the endless maze of streets, squares and alleys. And this is not because this settlement has an ideal layout, but because there is only one street with two rows of houses that literally hang from the ridge of the cliff. So what had to happen for people to climb the steep cliffs, and even managed to build a full-fledged town?
Looking at pictures of a small Catalan town with a rather complicated and long name Castellfollit de la Roca I can't even believe that these pictures are real. A strange image of a narrow rocky "tongue" on which massive at home, they seem to be just an illustration to some fairy tale, after all, to imagine this in real life it is impossible. But this is not a props or a photomontage, this is the most real town in which about 1 thousand people live to this day. residents.
The history of this unusual place in all respects, located in the foothills of the Pyrenees, in the north-east of Catalonia (Spain), began more than 200 thousand years ago. years ago. This part of modern Spain is a fairly active natural area belonging to the volcanic region of La Garrocha. In this area, volcanic eruptions were quite common.
It was during that period that a powerful ejection of lava occurred, which with two incandescent streams made its way through the basalt rock, forming a narrow and long ridge with a length of a kilometer. Since then, at an altitude of 50 m, a small island of life has formed, and in the lower reaches, on both sides, the waters of the rivers Turunel and Fluvia have found themselves, which are washed by the steep walls of a small plateau.
Interesting fact: The region of La Garoccia is a natural park area with 70 volcanoes. More than half of them are still operating, from time to time spewing streams of hot mud.
Considering that at the beginning of our millennium the seizure of foreign territories was a fairly common thing, it was no surprise that this impregnable plateau was chosen for the foundation of a settlement. According to the authors of Novate.ru, the first documentary mention of this amazing town was found by historians in manuscripts dating from 1193. Then Castellfollit de la Roca was already described as an impregnable fortress called Castellfollit, in which people lived, even despite the rather limited space and the inability to have fields, lands and pastures in close proximity to dwelling.
As a rule, the peasants living at the foot hid in the fortress during the raids in order to protect their family from the belligerent neighbors. But over time, many have built houses there that seem to be "fused" with the rock, increasing its height by at least two floors. This is due to the fact that all houses are built of the same rock (basalt) as the rock itself. And on top of that, the backs of the houses are flush with the cliff edge, and sometimes slightly overhanging.
Since the width of the plateau on average reaches only 45 m, the town managed to place 2 rows of houses with a narrow street in the middle, repeating the curves of the rock. The main "highway" of the city on the narrow edge of the cliff abuts against the old church of St. El Salvador, built in the XIII century. This shrine was rebuilt several times, and not so much because of fires or military operations. So, for example, in 1428 in these places there was a strong earthquake, as a result of which almost all the houses and the church were destroyed. And this was not the last fatal incident in her history.
Due to the constant rebuilding we can see the temple with a square bell tower and a roof decorated with small pilasters, which is typical of the late Renaissance. Since 1657 the church looks like we can see now. This is perhaps the only significant attraction of Castellfollit de la Roca, not counting the fact that it itself, as such, is a unique architectural monument.
Few cities have such extreme layout and planning. As local residents note, it also has a special climate that is not inherent in Spain itself. This is due to the landscape, the presence of a large amount of greenery and high humidity. Due to constant vapors, the cliff and the town are in a haze, but in very hot and dry weather it can be seen in all its glory. Although life itself in it is not as beautiful as nature and climate. It goes without saying that getting to this settlement is very difficult, because there is no public transport here, you need to have your own car.
READ ALSO: Three useful things you can do at home with a plastic bucket
IT IS INTERESTING: An affordable trick on how to repair a crack in a plastic bucket so you don't have to go to the trash can
The situation is no better for gardeners or amateur gardeners. To grow and harvest crops, they have to make a huge detour to cross the large bridge that is at the beginning of the plateau. This is the only thread with the outside world that allows you to cross the river and find yourself in a fertile valley. It was there that people laid out gardens, vineyards and orchards.
>>>>Ideas for life | NOVATE.RU<<<<
Since Castellfollit de la Roca is considered the most beautiful and unusual settlement in Spain, tourists flock to it. Although, as it turned out, enjoying the picturesque town is not so easy. But the ubiquitous travelers, despite the difficulties, still get to this unique town, although for this they have to use a taxi or rent a car. But these costs are easily offset by the cost of staying in a hotel located at the foot of the cliff and food in local cafes and bars. Some have outdoor areas with stunning views of the valley, so visitors can enjoy a double experience.
Interesting fact: Despite the fact that the city is home to only about 1,000 people people, there are many cafes, restaurants and bars on its territory. The oldest of them was discovered back in 1870.
Not only the inhabitants of the Spanish rock town live close to the pavement, as it turned out, modern road builders manage to build highways right under people's windows. As it happens in the suburbs of Cairo, where the highway overpass is laid at arm's length from the windows of the sixth floor.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/140620/54849/