June 5, 2015 - A trip to Besalu

Today we boarded a bus at 9:30 a.m. to travel to Besalu, northwest of Barcelona. Established in the 11th century, Besalu is an almost perfect example of a medieval town. With 2300 residents (as of the last census), it's just a village, but it's a living town, not just a tourist attraction.



As we crossed the beautiful Romanesque bridge, complete with tower and portcullis, we marveled at its solid construction and obvious wonderful design. Spanning the Fluvia River, the bridge is built with angles and breakwaters, the angles to strengthen the bridge and the breakwaters to weaken the river. Since the use of concrete had been forgotten about at this time (I know, hard to believe), the stones were placed in a way that has lasted over a thousand years without mortar. Although it's now closed to motor traffic, the bridge is wide enough to accommodate a modern automobile, and certainly strong enough.

The town boasted a prominent Jewish population of bankers and merchants, and archaeologists have discovered the remains of a synagogue and a mikvah, utilizing the water from the river for the ritual bath which is such an important part of Jewish religious and cultural tradition. Steps lead down the hill from the town to the river, where fishing is permitted - and one of our group even spotted a little river snake.

This small village is home to not one, but two, medieval churches, and also a monastery and a medieval hospital. The town is protected from the rear by the foothills of the Pyrenees, and from the front by the river. The bridge itself has the tower fortification and two very solid wooden doors that could have been closed against any enemies. And as a last resort, one of the churches has enormous doors that could have been closed and locked, sheltering the villagers inside against the armies of rival noblemen or even invaders from France or northern Africa.

All of us could immediately see similarities between this tiny town and some of the towns we visited last summer in Tuscany. It's fascinating to know that principles of construction and defense were so widespread - once again, those wily Romans wielding their influence far after the fall of empire.

As I write this, we sit in our hotel room in Barcelona with our balcony windows open, enjoying the slight breeze and the sounds of the street. The temperature is 79 degrees, with low humidity. We have yet to see a cloud - crossing fingers that that continues. We are considering a little drink in a shady terrace bar, then a stroll through the early evening from plaza to plaza, and maybe an early bedtime.  We begin again in Barcelona tomorrow, continuing our travels through history with more examples of medieval architecture and design systems. Tomorrow afternoon, free exploration time. I believe we might take the walk down Las Ramblas from the Placa Catalunya to the sea. Or maybe visit the Picasso Museum. Or maybe explore the fabulous department store, El Corte Ingles. Or .....