Ciutadella de Roses

The fortified area of the Roses citadel is an archaeological park of great interest and beauty.

In the 10th century the walls enclosed the town (in fact, the inhabitants of Roses refer to the citadel as the Muralles (Walls)), but the fortification that remains today was built during the reign of King Carlos I, in the 17th century, when the population was obliged to live outside the walls.

This new pentagonal-shaped military fortress, with bastions and banked walls, is a construction designed to resist the new destructive power of artillery, both from land and sea. It must be realized that Roses was a highly-valued port of unquestionable strategic and commercial importance, and the tactics of war had changed. Moreover, the town was continually raided by pirates.

The interior of the fortified area shows the site’s historical evolution, with a series of very valuable archaeological sites, from the ancient colonization by the Greeksof Rhodes (4th – 3rd century B.C.) and the later Roman settlement to the medieval town, built around the monastery of Santa Maria, from which the remains of theRomanesque church of the same name are certainly the most outstanding feature.

Today, the Roses Town Council takes special care to protect the citadel area. For example, adjoining buildings are demolished to create a major green area around it.

Concerts of classical, blues and rock music are also held here.