Sant Martí d'Empúries, Medieval settlement in L'Escala, Spain
Description
Sant Martí d'Empúries is a medieval settlement on a small peninsula on the Costa Brava, featuring narrow stone streets and a church building with Gothic and Romanesque elements. The village spreads across a hilltop with views toward the Mediterranean and displays the typical layout of a fortified medieval community.
History
Colonists from Massalia originally established a Greek settlement called Kypsela here in the 6th century BC. The site later saw occupation under Goths and Moors before Catalan settlers built a new community directly above the ancient Greek ruins.
Culture
The Church of Sant Martí anchors the settlement and displays architectural layers from different periods visible in its walls and structures. Visitors can observe how these building styles sit on top of one another, telling the story of successive occupations through their physical forms.
Practical
The settlement is reachable by car via a coastal road or on foot through a walking path that connects to the nearby archaeological park and crosses uneven terrain. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and allow time to navigate the narrow alleyways at a slow pace.
Did you know?
The village sits directly atop the foundations of an ancient Greek city and archaeologists view it as a living layer museum. Those who look closely can spot the boundaries between time periods in the walls themselves, where old stones were reused in later structures.
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Empúries
356 m
Asclepius
310 m
Roman thermae of Ampurias
87 m
Església de Sant Martí d'Empúries
745 m
Mare de Deu de Gràcia
326 m
Castell d'Empúries
719 m
Castell de Cinc Claus
1.4 km
Casa del Servei Forestal
748 m
Muralles medievals de Sant Martí d'Empúries
732 m
Hostal Empúries
468 m
Santa Reparada de Cinclaus
1.4 km
Museu Monogràfic d’Empúries
326 m
Santa Margarida d'Empúries
538 m
Mas Concas
1.4 km
Les Muscleres
422 m
Jardí Víctor Català
778 m
Santa Magdalena d'Empúries
576 m
Búnquer del Pedrigolet
729 m
Casa Cuffel
518 m
House in plaça Petita, 5
679 m
Cala del Pedrigolet
710 m
Casa Pitchot
484 m
L'Escala lime kiln
519 m
Mas Bassedes
1.4 km
Empúries amphitheatre
372 m
Platja del Moll Grec
504 m
Platja del Riuet
851 m
Platja del Portitxol
484 mDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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