Crumbling stones whisper tales. This is the Torre de Santa Margarida. Its ruins stand silent yet speak volumes. The Torre de Santa Margarida was once a thriving monastery. Later it became a farmhouse. Now only remnants remain.
The Torre de Santa Margarida’s history stretches back to 1147. The name Valldonzella first appears in records then. A chapel is mentioned in 1175. A community of nuns lived there. Their order and rule remain uncertain.
In 1226 Bishop Berenguer de Palou gifted the Torre de Santa Margarida to the Cistercian Order. The nuns moved to a new monastery outside the city walls in 1269. The move was due to the Catalan Civil War. The insecurity prompted the relocation. After several more moves the nuns eventually settled at the new monastery of Santa Maria de Valldonzella in 1913.
From the 15th century the chapel was linked to the tower itself. The tower was known as Valldonzella Santa Margarida or simply the Torre de Santa Margarida. It became a residential building attached to the south wall. In 1464 the abbess Alamanda de Pia leased the house and lands. The lease was to Pere Busquets a Barcelona resident.
The Torre de Santa Margarida changed hands frequently. Lawsuits and unpaid debts marked its ownership. It passed through several noble families. The Albanell and Rocaberti families owned it. The property was eventually sold in 1687 to Antic Busquets for 800 lliures. Further sales and renovations followed. The chapel remained open for public worship until 1865. The Bishop closed it due to the building’s poor condition.
The Torre de Santa Margarida stands as a testament to time’s passage. It reflects changing power structures. It also showcases architectural styles spanning centuries. The remaining structure hints at a Romanesque chapel. Agricultural outbuildings show later additions. These additions were made during the farmhouse phase of the Torre de Santa Margarida. Nearby are remnants of gardens. They suggest past agricultural activities. The Torre de Santa Margarida is a significant piece of Barcelona’s history. It speaks of faith and family and the ebb and flow of fortune. Its silence speaks of what once was. Yet it also beckons us to imagine what was.