Castle of the Templar Knights of Gardeny

The Gardeny Order of the Tem­plar Interpretation Centre is a unique space that offers visitors the chance to take an exciting journey into the past and learn more about one of the most in­ter­esting and controversial com­munities in Lleida’s history.

In the second half of the 12th century, the Order of the Knig­hts Templar built a mo­nas­tery com­plex on Gardeny Hill, a stra­tegic raised out­crop that had fre­quen­tly been used as a mi­li­tary camp, pro­bably sin­ce Ro­man times.

In the 17th and 18th centuries the old Me­die­val com­plex was ex­pan­ded and trans­for­med into a new military fort, designed in res­pon­se to the new defensive needs re­sul­ting from the in­tro­duc­tion of ar­tillery: walls flanked with bas­tio­ns and su­rroun­ded by open spaces, moa­ts and con­tention walls.

What can be seen today of this historical complex are the re­mains of the imposing cas­tle which, together with the cas­t­les in Miravet, Monzón, Pe­nís­cola and the city of Tor­to­sa, form part of the Domus Tem­pli Knig­hts Templar Do­mi­nions Route. This trip back in­to the past gives visitors a chan­ce to get to know much of the Tem­plar heritage in the old Kingdom of Aragon.

Templar House of Gardeny ( 12th-14th centuries )

After the conquest of the city of Lleida in 1149, the Knig­hts Tem­plar were given se­ve­ral pro­per­ties, including Gar­deny Hill, in payment for the help pro­vided during the sie­ge. The first re­fe­ren­ce to the com­mand post at Gar­deny da­tes from 1156 and the first com­man­der was Bro­ther Pe­re de Cartellà, who pla­yed an ac­tive role du­ring the sie­ge of the ci­ty. Thanks to many con­tri­bu­tio­ns made lar­ge­ly by the landed gen­try, the Tem­plar House of Gardeny amas­sed con­si­de­ra­ble wealth. In order to ma­nage the different or­ga­ni­zations that had been es­ta­blis­hed, it be­ca­me necessary to create new administrative positions and set up new com­mand posts, such as those at Corbins and Bar­bens. As a re­sult of this ex­pan­sion, in the 13th century the Tem­plar House of Gardeny be­ca­me one of the Knights Tem­plars’ main ad­mi­nis­trative bases in the Kingdom of Ara­gon.

The Historical Complex

The historical complex at Gar­deny is one of the most im­pres­sive examples of Knights Templar architecture in Ca­ta­lonia du­ring the second half of the 12th cen­tury.

Though ex­ten­sive mo­di­fi­ca­tion during the 17th and 18th centuries chan­ged the la­yout of the former Medieval complex, many ele­ments of the original structure still survive. Perimeter walls flanked by towers su­rround an inner spa­ce housing a number of buil­dings arranged around a cen­tral courtyard.

The­se buil­dings include the living quar­ters, a solid two-storey tower with se­veral rooms, sto­ra­ge buil­dings, residential quar­ters and the Homage Tower. To one si­de is the Ro­ma­nesque Chur­ch of San­ta Ma­ria de Gar­deny, a sin­gular building of great de­vo­tio­nal sig­nificance in its day.

Temple Order Interpretation Center

When in the spring of 1149, the count of Barcelona Ramon Berenguer IV began the siege of the Muslim city of Lleida from the same hill of Gardeny, he had the collaboration of the Templar militia, which contributed to the sending military personnel. Once the city was conquered, and in gratitude for its participation, the count himself handed over to the militia several goods, including the same hill as Gardeny. Today, after more than 800 years, we can discover what the Templar house of Gardeny was like. We can know and relive the ideals of the Order of the Temple, and how the monastic militia lived.

With this new Center, Turisme de Lleida offers Lleida residents and visitors a piece of the city's history in an educational and accessible way. Panels, audiovisuals and explanatory elements recreate the life of this religious and military order.

At the Information Point of the Templer Castle in Gardeny, they will provide all kinds of information and services for motorcycling users.

Templer Castle's Day

Informative brochure 

Contact

Turó de Gardeny
Phone: 973 700 319

Opening Hours

Tuesday to Sunday anb bank holidays from 10 to 15h 

SUMMER (from 22/06 to 30/09)

Tuesday to Sunday anb bank holidays from 09 to 14h

Monday closed

Entrance fee

General Admission Ticket: 3€

Reduced entry: 2€. Groups (more than 10 people), older than 65 years old, Pensioners (pensioner card), Young people from 13 to 21 years old, Carnet Jove holders, Student Card holders, Large Family Card holder, Tour Operators, APTALC members, Amics de la Seu Vella, Ateneu Popular de Ponent members, Centre Titelles de Lleida card holders.

Free Entrance: Children from 0 to 12 years old, people with mental o physical disabilities, university and school groups during school hours accompanied with a teacher, actions of promotion or commercialization of Turisme de Lleida, Emocity-take advantage of the 18 ticket, Youth Lleida City Hall, Tourism Official Guides, Súper 3 Club holders, summer tourist bus users, Lleida Public Library card holders, cultural association of Gardeny Castle members, press card holder, bank holiday (11/05, 11/09 and 29/09) and the 1st Tuesday of the month. 

Getting here

L4 Pardinyes - Mariola (Lleida Bus)

Coordinates

GMS:
Latitud Norte 41° 36’ 31.06”
Longitud Este 0° 36’ 43.606”
GD:
Latitud 41.608628
Longitud 0.612113