La Garriga de Castelladral was built on the ruins of a medieval structure, but wasn’t properly converted into a residence until the end of the XVII century.
The construction of the house was clearly marked by its evolution and history. Each of its eras is impregnated in the stone walls, and clearly conditioned the structural design. As we studied the different building extensions, materials and inscriptions we found there, we discovered its true history, and how the house had been transformed to adapt to the different needs of each era.
At the end of the XIX century, La Garrriga was at its prime: a time of maximum splendour and growth. The phylloxera plague had destroyed the majority of France’s vineyards. For two whole decades, remaining free from the invasion of the plague, La Garriga was to greatly benefit from the French misfortune, and became an important centre of wine production.
However, phylloxera was soon to invade Catalan territory, and consequently destroyed most of the house’s vines. Wine production was dramatically reduced, and the owners decided instead to focus on producing olive oil and grains.
La Garriga’s viticultural inheritance is perfectly reflected in the house today, which has conserved the original vats where the wine was made, as well as the mill and press for producing olive oil.
During the XX century, the structure of the house was not altered, and the owners made use of the existing building as their residence. In 1936, at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, the owners left the house, which was later inhabited solely by settlers, and then abandoned for three whole decades.
Restoration of La Garriga was not undertaken until 1998, when the house was purchased by its present day owners, the Roca Barbé family, who restored the special characteristic light and magic to the home, whilst fully respecting its original style and essence.
