What Münzer Would Never Have Seen--Perpignan to Figueres

Two fortresses that Münzer never saw were the replacement for the Tower of La Guardia at Pertus and the Castell in Figueres. Both are 18th century structures on the great citadel model, that of Figueres being the largest of all. There are no images lf La Guardia's early tower, and the Castell at Figueres actually sits on the site of an earlier convent' no one seems to know what earlier castles existed near in the latter city.

As for le Perthus (known as Pertus in Catalonia) site of La Guardia, this is probably "El Port" that Münzer mentions. When researching for this journey, we couldn't even find a reference to la Guardia, until we realized that the name of the modern fortress was the castle of Bellegarde near the modern town. It is, of course, the fortress built to definitively redefine the frontier between France and Spain when the Roussillon reverted once more to French rule. Le Perthus is no longer a frontier mountain pass; it has all the modern characteristics of a border town, even under the European Union, with souvenir shops galore, and lots of tourist car traffic--especially now in July.

As for remnants of 15th century life along this route, few if any exist. This area, from Perpignan to Figueres is now prime tourist territory. The N-9 and A-9 (France) and NII and A-2 highways now replace those narrow mountain defiles that Münzer and his companions had to traverse slowly on horseback. The towns themselves have many more modern layers, including in the cases of Perpignan and Figueres suburban subdivisions. Figueres is dominated by the cult of Salvador Dali, including his enormous museum. In Figueres, as well, the center of the city boasts, as do many Catalan towns, "la Rambla," a nice pedestrian thoroughfare, unthinkable in medieval times. Only weekly markets (here in Le Boulou) evoke an earlier time, though the people strolling around are very definitely contemporary--as are the supermarkets and fast-food outlets on the town's periphery.

Pictures: (1) and (2) - Dali Museum, Figueres; (3) Figueres - "La Rambla" (4) Le Boulou - Thursday Market; (5) "La Guardia" - view of early fortress in 16th century; (6) Figueres - Castell de San Ferran (1751); (7) Castle of Bellegarde (le Perthus) (completed 1679)