In the middle of the silence of Berguedà, in the province of Barcelona, just over an hour and a half from Barcelona, there is a neo-medieval castle covered with graffiti, collages and paintings. It does not appear in guidebooks or institutional campaigns. There are no guided tours or official merchandising. But every weekend, a silent procession of onlookers, urban explorers and artists turns the Torre del Comte de Fígols into one of the most peculiar -and secret- cultural spaces in Catalonia.
The neo-medieval castle that housed a mining landowner
The tower was built at the beginning of the 20th century as the residence of the businessman José Enrique de Olano y Loyzaga, a pioneer in the mining industry in the region. It was he who promoted the exploitation of coal in the area founding Carbones de Berga, S.A. and who ordered the construction of this castle as a temporary refuge during his stays in the mountains.
With a silhouette reminiscent of a medieval castle – towers, merlons and all – the building was later the headquarters of the mining company until its closure in the 1980s. Since then, it has fallen into oblivion.
The castle that became an art museum
Unguarded and unrestricted, the place has been raided by urban artists who have turned the empty walls into canvases . The abandoned rooms, cracked ceilings and ruined corridors are now covered with dozens of pieces: graffiti, stencils, paste-ups, collages, installations….
Thus, the castle has become a spontaneous, living, ephemeral and unmediated gallery. On the other hand, and despite its deterioration, the Comte de Fígols Tower is included in the Inventory of Architectural Heritage of Catalonia as a Cultural Asset of Local Interest. But there are, for the moment, no official plans to restore it or to protect the works that today inhabit it.
Its proximity to the Museu de les Mines de Cercs and nature trails make it a perfect place for a day trip: industrial history, mountain, urban art and adventure.
How to get there
To visit the tower from Barcelona, just follow these steps: take the C-16 (Eix del Llobregat) towards Berga, exit at exit 107 (towards Cercs), follow the BV-4025 road to Fígols, pass the village of Sant Corneli and take the signposted detour.