Torre Negra, Medieval castle in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Spain

Torre Negra is a castle in Sant Cugat del Vallès featuring a square tower with twin-arched windows on its facades. The structure is built from dark stone and has a distinctive semi-circular arch framing the main entrance.

The castle was built in 1145 to defend the lands of the Benedictine monastery of Sant Cugat from attackers. The fortress underwent major reconstruction and reinforcement during the 15th century.

The name Torre Negra comes from the dark patina of its stone walls, a name recorded from the 18th century, when the monks of Sant Cugat bought the estate in 1728 and turned it into a farm. The ground floor served as stable and storehouse for farm tools. Each year the masover who ran the estate was appointed batlle, the only elector and eligible candidate of the Quadra de Vilanova.

The fortified masia is privately owned and not open to visitors. It stands in a natural setting between two streams at the entrance to the Gausac valley, on the boundary between the Collserola range and the southern fields of the Vallès plain. The building can be viewed from the surrounding paths.

The masia's upper terraces were covered with roofs and its battlements hidden, probably after Philip V ordered most Catalan fortresses demolished; new windows and balconies were opened to strip its military value. Restoration in the late 20th century uncovered the Gothic courtyard and the crenellated terrace of the rear facade that the monks had concealed.