Castell d'Escornalbou, Medieval monastery and castle in Riudecanyes, Spain

Castell d'Escornalbou is a hilltop complex in Riudecanyes combining a former Augustinian monastery, later Franciscan, with a castle. Its Romanesque church of Sant Miquel, consecrated in 1240, has a single nave, side chapels and a rose window. The old cloister, now a gallery, adjoins the church near the cliff edge, and the residence remodelled by Eduard Toda in the 1920s preserves his collections of engravings, ceramics and books.

Alfonso II of Aragon founded the monastery in 1165 with six monks under Tarragona's archbishopric oversight. An early 20th-century restoration by a diplomat and scholar transformed it into a noble residence housing collections and libraries.

The early 20th-century transformation into a noble residence brought libraries and art collections to the religious complex, blending sacred spaces with scholarly pursuits. Visitors can still sense this mix of spiritual and intellectual life in how the rooms are arranged and furnished.

The complex sits on a ledge of the Santa Bàrbara hill at 649 m, reached by steep paths, so sturdy footwear and time for the climb are advisable. The hermitage of Santa Bàrbara crowns the summit, where the original fortress stood, and offers views over the Tarragona districts. A gathering is held at the site in June.

The summit of the mountain, crowned by the Santa Bàrbara hermitage, reaches 649 metres, not 586. From the cloister arches and especially from that highest point, where the first fortress stood, the view takes in much of the Tarragona counties. The name Escornalbou may come from the old expression "es corn del bou" (the bull's horn), after the pointed shape of the hill.