activities

Throughout the guided tour of the site, we consider the political climate at the time of the construction of the castle: the conflict between the Carolingian empire and the Muslim empire (al-Andalus). From the top of the keep, the situation of Catalunya Central and Cardona as a military buffer zone (the Hispanic Marches) can be clearly understood, and the physical elements that define it seen (the Cardener River, the Pyrenees and the lands in the south).

Pupils will come to understand what a castle is, what its basic structural elements are, who lived there and the nature of the social estates in the Middle Ages, the nobility, the clergy and the general populace. They will also learn about those aspects each social class represented – power, worship and labour – and the relationships between these groups within the castle complex. The educational tour reveals who the rich and powerful lords of Cardona were: what they were like, where and how they lived, what they did and how they succeeded in acquiring their remarkable financial power.

Pupils will learn to identify the basic structural elements of a castle, such as the keep, walls, residential buildings, services (water cisterns and troughs), common courtyards and the religious complex (cloister, fruit and vegetable gardens, communal refectory, the abbot’s palace and the church).

One of the highpoints of the educational tour takes place inside the magnificent Collegiate Church of Sant Vicenç de Cardona (11th century), regarded as one of the most important examples of Romanesque art in Europe. Pupils will discover one of the most important religious edifices in Catalonia. They will learn when, why and how it was constructed and who financed the works. In addition, they will begin to study Romanesque art by identifying its main architectural and artistic features (arches, paintings, symbolism and materials).

Once the tour of the medieval castle is completed, pupils will follow the old covertway, where they will see loopholes and a cannon, and will continue until they reach the Santa Maria Bastion, built in more recent times (18th century). There, they will be given a brief introduction to the historical context that led to the transition from the Middle Ages to the modern era and the transformation of the castle to adapt it to the new times and to the new defensive strategies.

Cardona Castle is a veritable compendium of the history of art, architecture and engineering. Through this educational activity, pupils will learn how medieval society was structured and about its transition to modern times.

The tour is designed and adapted to match pupils’ curricular level.