Attractions
Castle of Montoliu (or Santa Margarida)
This castle, also known as ' El Castellot', is located right in the eastern sector of the plana de Tarragona, near the mouth of the Gaià River. The building was badly damaged during the Francés War.
On of the most remarkable characteristics is the extraordinary amplitude of its boundaries. The castle is a good example of the new military layout in the southern limits of Barcelona County in the 11th century. It covered the area between The Gaià and Francolí rivers (from east to west) and from Valls and Alcover to Tamarit and Tarragona (north to south)
The castle belonged to the Claramunt family, who appear as lords of the fortress in many documents from the 12-13th centuries. In 1134, Ramon Pere, son of Pere Mir de Banyeres, was declared 'fidelis homo et solidus' of Deodat de Claramunt (respectively vassal and commodore of the castles of Montoliu and Tamarit)
In 1229, Guillem de Claramunt, heir of Deodat, was named lord of the castle.
During the 13-15th centuries, the family that inherited the castle gave many celebrities like Vice-admiral Berenguer de Montoliu, who served Pere 'El Gran' and Alfons 'El Liberal' and fought with Roger de Lluria in 1289.
In 1430, Joan de Boixadors, lord of La Riera, Montoliu and Virgili was one of the sluggishes that owed money to Manuel Icart and pawned the castle for 12.000 'sous'.
The oldest element in the castle is the ruined round tower. This tower had an interior diameter of 3.5 metres and originally was 10 meter high, with an elevate door of about 5-6 metres.
Nowadays a housing estate takes up the foothills of the hillock of Santa Margarida.
Tower of l'Abella (or de la Vetlla)
This tower is located on the right side of the road to El Catllar, before reaching Ardenya.
Historians think that the tower had a function of control over the village of Ardenya and its growing lands more than a defensive one.
Its interior diameter measures 210 metres and the wall is 125 centimetres thick and 8 metres high. The lowest floor was covered by a false dome made with small stones and a hole in the middle to communicate with the main floor.
What makes this tower special is, first, its watching function over the rivers and the cultivated lands and, second, that it was built half with stones, half with adobe. Its structure and layout make experts think that the tower was built around the year 1000.
Mills
Mills within the municipality.
Mill of La Torre
This mill is located at the entrance of the village. It is thought that the mill owes its name to its location on the road to Torredembarra.
The best kept element in this mill is the millstone room with an underpinning vault of 4.2 metres high.
Behind the northern wall there was a millrace (in the present walled by a car workshop) and a pool covered with brambles . It is said that the waterfall of this mill was 8 metre high. This mill, like many other mills along the Gaià River, took the water from a channel farther north. This mill most likely dates from the 12-13th centuries.
Fortuny's mill
This mill is located on the left bank of the river, right after Ardenya coming from La Riera.
The Molinet (Small mill)
Flour mill that later grinded white stone.
Mill 'del Mig'
This mill belongs to the Town Council and is located on Major Square. It used to grind wheat, corn and barley.
This one is the only mill that is a public property.
Other important buildings
The Casa Borràs, locatedin the town centre (Major Street) has a noble shield and artistic windows on the façade.
The economy and the population of La Riera grew along the 18th century. That fact is reflected in the great number of houses from this century still conserved in the old town centre.
If you take a walk along the outskirts of town, through the growing lands, you will come across cisterns, huts and stone walls that are typical examples of the architecture in the growing fields. The 'barraques' are square plan constructions with a single opening usually facing south-east.
Within the township there have been accounted around 30 'barraques'
The ten bridges , in the old railway, were built in 1884.
The 'sínies' (waterwheels) are also another architectonic element. Thanks to the sínies the peasantry got water from the river. The most important sínies are the 'sínia boja' (approximately from the year 1000) and another one located near the ten bridges. The fact that this water wheels are located in private properties makes it difficult to visit them.
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