Historian Uncovers Evidence of Canillo's Lost Medieval Castle

Quim Valera, a local historian, has uncovered a previously unpublished letter from medievalist Marcel Baïche that pinpoints the remains of Canillo's long-lost castle. The document, likely written in the 1980s and addressed to the Canillo parish council, describes ruins visible until 1910 at a spot known today as Roc del Castell—a mound overlooking the road to Sant Joan de Caselles, north of Canillo.

Baïche's letter recounts how the landowner, referred to as "Pota blanc," demolished the structure around that time, scattering stones once bound with lime that dated back to the 8th century. This new evidence builds on a 1466 notarial protocol discovered in 2022 by archivist Domènec Bascompte in the National Archive's records of notary Jaume Lupetti. That document records a land sale by Guillem Cassany, an artisan from Andorra la Vella, to Joan Pellicer from Canillo, with boundaries including "cum castro Canillo"—explicitly mentioning the Canillo castle.

Valera presented these findings at the recent History Days in Canillo, adding them to oral histories and toponyms that suggest the fortress existed despite its absence from earlier records, such as 11th-century documents tied to Arnau Mir de Tost, who held Canillo in fief. He argues the documentary gap does not rule out its presence. Parish officials have long planned archaeological surveys, potentially following completion of digs at the Sella site.

Beyond the castle, Valera's research focused on Canillo's "spaces of power"—gathering spots for medieval residents to handle local affairs, elect officials, and resolve disputes before the first communal house was built in the 16th century under the parish cemetery.

Documents reveal meetings at the cemetery, communal ovens, and unexpectedly at private sites like Esteve Pellicer's orchard in 1500 or "lo Puy de Canillo" in 1534. The Santa Creu chapel emerges as the most frequent venue, cited in 1513 for settling disputes among neighborhoods including Meritxell, Prats, la Torre, Canillo, and Caselles; in 1535 with Merens residents; and in 1543 for electing syndics and procurators. Valera attributes its prominence to its central location along the main road, equidistant from local quarters.

Assemblies were even called in what is now Sant Pere del Tarter—then Prada Redó—as in 1580. A 1391 gathering of Andorran prohoms at "els Saus" to swear in a new veguers remains puzzling, with the only clue a Joan Saus linked to Ransol.

Valera, completing a doctoral thesis on these sites, urged viewing everyday landmarks through a historical lens, as they shaped ancestors' decisions.