The
relevant remains of the castle, its singularity in the landscape
and its dense history have created a vast and mysterious
number of legends:
The Countess of Molins :
| Teresa of Molins, born in Sant Pere Pescador, abandoned her noble life to join a group of bandits as their leader. She was held for some time in the convent of Garriguella but she returned with the bandits who were hiding within the remains of the castle of Quermançó. Jealousy and fights began as she came back and the countess decided to bring it to an end on a summer night in 1826. She went down to the basement with a torch and set fire to the rest of the French gunpowder, blowing up the castle. |
The Lady of Quermançó :
| It is told that the countess of Molins, who lived in the Castle of Quermançó, only ate marrow and that she never tasted other meals; this obsession ruined her. Poor and starving, one day she accepted bread and walnuts from two sympathetic peasants. She liked it so much that she exclaimed: "If I had known that bread with walnuts tasted so good I would still be the mistress of the castle of Quermançó". |
The golden goat :
| This is about a haunted queen who keeps a golden goat hidden somewhere in the foundations of the castle of Quermançó. Some versions say that at the time when the Jews where forced to leave Catalonia, those who lived in Villa Iudaica (Vilajuïga) buried a golden goat in the castle; it is said that they worshipped it. But the most popular is about a Moor king who lived in the castle and had a big treasure; he ordered a golden goat to be made out of this treasure. But one day he had to leave the castle because a Christian king had defeated him. With the help of his servants, he took the goat through secret corridors that connected the castle with the sea in Port de la Selva. The legend says that the king and the golden goat never found their way out. |
The mystery of the Holy Grail :
| According to one of many interpretations, the mountain of Verdera would be the setting of the main episode of the mystery of the Holy Grail. The castle of Sant Salvador would be Monsalvat castle, and the castle of Quermançó would be that of the wizard Klingsor of Hungary who wanted to join the Order of the Holy Grail by any means. |
Poem by Maria Terrades i Compte
Translated by Nela Bureu (Universitat de Lleida)
Castell de Quermançó