In millennial Maresme
The coastal town of Alella combines a thousand-year tradition of winemaking with architectural highlights from the ancient, Romanesque, Baroque and Modernist periods
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The first reference to Alella dates back to the 10th century, though only the base of the Romanesque church remains. In the 15th century a new structure was built on top. In the 19th century a young architect called Antoni Gaudí designed an altar for the church which never materialised.
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The distinctive sgraffito (decoration technique using layers of plaster) on the facade of Can Lleonart dates from the Baroque period but was recently restored. Today, the mansion houses Alella's cultural centre.
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The Cella Vinaria archaeological site reveals the importance of local wine production between the 1st century BC and the 5th century AD. Among the remains that have been found at the site are wine presses, Roman ovens and ceramic jars that were used to age wine. The site also has an experimental vineyard that is used to study the grape varieties and winemaking techniques used in Roman times.
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In 1906, 50 wine producers set up the cooperative, Alella Vinícola. In the following years, the company grew and eventually produced Marfil Alella, King Alfonso XIII's favourite wine. Today, the cooperative's Modernist cellar by Jeroni Martorell, can be visited all year round.
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The town has a two-hour tour to show off its heritage in the old quarter. The tour visits Alella's most important landmarks. Tours are every morning of the last Saturday of the month, except August. Advanced bookings at: oficinaturisme@alella.cat.
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Alella's thousand-year history has provided the town with a long winemaking tradition that goes back to Roman times and continues alive and well today. In fact, Alella has its own Designation of Origin, Alella DO. The Maresme town also boasts a number of iconic architectural gems that go from ancient times, via the Romanesque and Baroque eras, to the Modernist period in the early 20th century.