The Comalats is a natural comarca located in the heart of inland Catalonia, between the Segarra and the Conca de Barberà. This territory of rolling landscapes, arid lands and open skies conceals an extraordinary heritage and human richness. Its villages and hamlets, many of them small in size, preserve Romanesque churches, medieval castles and a distinctive identity that resists the passage of time. Below, we take a tour of each of the villages and settlements that make up this singular territory.
Conesa
Conesa is, without doubt, one of the most emblematic settlements of the Comalats. Set within a landscape of valleys and hills stretching to the horizon, the village sits at a certain altitude, although over the centuries it has suffered several significant floods, even in recent times. Its most outstanding heritage feature is the church of Sant Pere de Conesa, a magnificent example of Catalan Gothic architecture. In addition to its religious heritage, the village preserves its original medieval layout, part of its walls and an ancient Jewish quarter — notable witnesses to a rich and diverse history. The urban ensemble, with its narrow streets and characteristic structure, offers visitors an authentic journey into the region's medieval past.
Forès
Forès is a small municipality that surprises visitors with the quality of its architectural heritage. The village is in a notably good state of preservation and has managed to retain the essence of its medieval core. The church of Santa Maria de Forès is its main religious and artistic landmark, a building of Romanesque origin that was extended and modified in later periods, as was frequently the case in villages throughout inland Catalonia.
The castle of Forès, of which significant remains are preserved, was an important control point in the territory's defensive network during the Middle Ages. Its elevated position allowed it to watch over the surrounding roads and valleys.
La Sala de Comalats
La Sala de Comalats is one of the settlements that retains the name of the entire comarca — formerly, many of the villages bore the addition "de Comalats". Located in a central position within the territory, the village preserves an atmosphere of great authenticity. The church of Sant Miquel de la Sala was built to replace the original Romanesque church, of which no visible traces remain today. What truly impresses is the interior: La Sala de Comalats preserves its medieval character entirely intact, with mud and stone paths that have never been modernised or paved. The ensemble, partially in ruins, lends the village a romantic and evocative character, with an almost poetic atmosphere — in the manner of Edgar Allan Poe.
Vallfogona de Riucorb
Vallfogona de Riucorb is perhaps the village of the Comalats with the greatest cultural and literary projection. Its name is inevitably linked to the figure of the rector of Vallfogona, Francesc Vicent Garcia (1582–1623), one of the most important and popular poets in Catalan Baroque literature, known for his satirical and festive work. His memory permeates the village and gives it a unique cultural dimension within the territory.
The architectural heritage of Vallfogona de Riucorb is equally noteworthy. The church of Santa Maria de Vallfogona is a building of considerable size for a village of its scale, with Gothic and Renaissance elements that reflect the importance the settlement held in past times. The monastery of Santa Maria de Vallfogona, today in a state of partial preservation, was a religious and cultural centre of great relevance during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period.
The River Corb, which gives the municipality its name, flows through the area and creates a microclimate and riverside landscapes that contrast with the dryness of the surrounding lands. Its banks have been used for vegetable gardens and mills throughout history.
Montolliu de la Segarra
Montolliu de la Segarra is a small municipality that forms part of the Comalats area and preserves an old core of great interest. The church of Sant Andreu de Montolliu is a characteristic example of the Romanesque style of the Segarra, with its sober structure and local stone materials that give it an appearance well integrated into the surrounding landscape. The bell tower, with its square floor plan, is one of the most visible elements of the ensemble.
L'Ametlla de la Segarra
L'Ametlla de la Segarra is another village that forms part of the Comalats area. The village, small in size, preserves its old core grouped around the church of Sant Pere de l'Ametlla, a building of Romanesque origin that underwent various interventions over the centuries. Its original structure, with an apse and a single nave, is recognisable despite later modifications.
The name of the municipality refers to the traditional presence of the almond tree in the agricultural landscape of the area, a tree that for a long time was an important source of income for farming families in the Segarra and the Comalats. Today, some of these traditional crops are maintained or being revived as part of initiatives to promote the value of the territory.
El Fonoll
El Fonoll is one of the settlements of the Comalats that deserves special attention, both for its architectural heritage and for the community life that has developed there in recent decades. The village, set in an environment of great scenic beauty, is an example of how a rural settlement can reinvent itself and find a new balance between tradition and contemporaneity.
Its most prized heritage treasure is the Romanesque church of Sant Blai del Fonoll, a building considered one of the most valuable and well-preserved examples of rural Romanesque architecture in the Comalats. Built between the 11th and 12th centuries, the church displays the characteristic features of the Lombard Romanesque style that took strong root in these lands: a semicircular apse decorated with Lombard arcading and lesenes, well-cut ashlar masonry, and a square bell tower that rises elegantly above the village core. The interior, with its single nave, preserves an atmosphere of contemplation and austerity that transports visitors to the era of its construction. The quality of the worked stone and the proportions of its volumes make this building a reference point for scholars of Catalan Romanesque architecture.
In addition to the architectural value of its church, El Fonoll is known for its intentional community, a group of people who chose this place to establish an alternative communal living project based on values of sustainability, cooperation and rootedness in the land. This community, which has been established in the village for decades, has contributed decisively to preventing the total abandonment of the settlement, has restored ruined buildings, has revived traditional agricultural practices and has created its own social and cultural fabric that brings life to the village throughout the year.
The presence of this community has made El Fonoll a point of reference for many people interested in models of sustainable rural living, and over the years the village has hosted gatherings, workshops and cultural activities that have brought its inhabitants into contact with people from all over Catalonia and beyond. This communal and cultural dimension makes El Fonoll a singular case in the landscape of the villages of the Comalats and of inland Catalonia in general.
The area of El Fonoll also includes some farmhouses and scattered rural buildings that complete the landscape of the settlement. The surrounding lands, worked in part by the local community, reflect an effort to restore the relationship between people and territory that had characterised life in these villages for centuries.
Other settlements and hamlets of the Comalats
In addition to the main municipalities, the territory of the Comalats includes several very small population centres, municipal aggregates and hamlets that complete the human map of this natural comarca. Among them, the following deserve mention:
- Llorac: A small settlement that preserves remains of its medieval past, with a church and defensive elements that speak of a rich and complex history.
- Savallà del Comtat: Located on the periphery of the Comalats, this village maintains a well-preserved old core and a parish church of heritage interest.
- Segura: A very small hamlet that exemplifies the demographic reality of these territories, with a sparse population but a built heritage that deserves attention and preservation.
- Civit: An aggregate settlement that preserves a rural chapel and various traditional buildings reflecting the vernacular architecture of the area.
- Mas de Bondia: A fortified farmhouse that stands out as one of the finest examples of rural defensive architecture in the Comalats comarca, reflecting the turbulent history and resilient agricultural heritage of inland Catalonia.
The Romanesque in the Comalats: a shared heritage
One of the most defining features of the heritage of the Comalats is the presence of a notable number of churches and chapels in the Romanesque style. Built mainly between the 11th and 13th centuries, these religious buildings are the most tangible testimony to the Christian colonisation of the territory during the Reconquista and the repopulation process that followed the conquest of the lands of the Segarra and the Conca de Barberà.
The common characteristics of this rural Romanesque include the single-nave plan with a semicircular apse oriented to the east, the use of locally quarried stone cut into regular ashlar blocks, Lombard arcading as an exterior decorative element, and bell towers with square or circular floor plans. The constructive simplicity of these buildings is not synonymous with artistic poverty, but rather with an intelligent adaptation to the available resources and the needs of the rural communities that built them. The church of Sant Miquel del Fonoll is, in this sense, one of the most successful and well-preserved examples of the entire ensemble, and constitutes an unmissable point of reference for any Romanesque itinerary through the Comalats.
Many of these churches have been the subject of restoration in recent decades, thanks to the work of local authorities and various cultural organisations. However, some continue to be in a precarious state of conservation that requires urgent attention to prevent the loss of an irreplaceable heritage.
Castles and defensive towers
The landscape of the Comalats is also a landscape of castles and towers. During the Middle Ages, this territory was a frontier zone and a place of conflict, and the need for defence generated a dense network of fortresses, watchtowers and walled enclosures. Many of these defensive elements are today in a state of ruin, but their remains are still visible and constitute a landscape and heritage feature of the first order.
Among the most notable castles in the territory, those of Conesa and Forès deserve mention, along with the remains of various watchtowers scattered across the hills of the comarca. Some of these castles were the residence of local noble families who played an important role in the politics and economic life of medieval Catalonia. Their histories, frequently linked to those of the families who inhabited them, are an inexhaustible source of information for historians and lovers of local history.
The landscape and identity of the Comalats
In addition to its built heritage, the Comalats is defined by a particular landscape that has shaped the identity of its inhabitants across generations. The cereal fields, the vineyards, the almond and carob trees, the bare hills and the ravines that cut through the territory, the isolated farmhouses and the dirt tracks: all of this forms a human and natural ecosystem that possesses an austere and profound beauty.
Depopulation is, unfortunately, a reality that affects much of the Comalats. Many of the villages described here have seen their populations decline dramatically over the course of the 20th century, as a consequence of rural exodus and the economic and social transformations that affected all of inland Catalonia. Today, some of these settlements have only a few dozen inhabitants, and the challenge of maintaining basic services and community life is enormous.
Despite all this, there are hopeful signs. The growing interest in rural and cultural tourism, the revival of traditional agricultural products, the arrival of new families seeking a life away from the large cities, and the work of local organisations to preserve and promote heritage: all these factors contribute to keeping alive the flame of villages that have much to offer to those who approach them with curiosity and respect. The case of El Fonoll, with its active community and its commitment to the territory, is one of the most inspiring examples of this will for continuity and renewal.
How to get there and tips for visiting the Comalats
The Comalats does not have a large tourist infrastructure, and it is precisely in this that much of its charm lies. To visit the territory, a private vehicle is practically essential, as public transport connections are very limited. The local roads linking the villages of the comarca are narrow and in some stretches are in an irregular state of repair, so it is necessary to drive with caution.
The best way to approach the Comalats is without haste, taking time to stroll through the old village cores, to visit the churches and castles, and to talk with local inhabitants, who are often the best guides for discovering the hidden corners of the territory. Some practical recommendations for visitors:
- Find out in advance about the opening hours of the churches, as many are kept locked and it is necessary to request the keys from the town councils or from the people responsible for their custody.
- Wear suitable footwear for walking along dirt paths and for accessing the remains of castles and towers, which frequently require a short walk on foot.
- Respect crops, private property and heritage features, and do not alter or remove any element from archaeological sites or historic buildings.
- Take advantage of the visit to sample local products: the olive oil, wine, cured meats and cheeses of the area, which can be purchased at some establishments in the villages or directly from producers.
- Bear in mind that in some villages there are no catering or accommodation services, so it is necessary to plan the visit in advance.
- When visiting El Fonoll, do so with due respect for an active intentional community, bearing in mind that the village is both a heritage site and a place where people live and work every day.
The Comalats is a territory that rewards the visitor who approaches it with patience and sensitivity. Its richness is not found in major tourist attractions or mass museums, but in the quietude of its landscapes, in the old stone of its churches, in the living memory of its inhabitants and in the feeling of having discovered a corner of Catalonia that time seems to have touched with a gentle and respectful hand.
