Castell de Montsonís, Castle in Foradada, Catalonia, Spain

Castell de Montsonís is a castle perched at about 380 meters elevation above the Segre River valley in Catalonia, with defensive walls and towers built across different periods. The structure reveals layers of construction and repair work that reflect how it was modified and maintained through the ages.

The first documented mention dates from 1131, when Viscount Guerau Ponç II de Cabrera returned the castle to the Abbey of Sant Pere d'Àger. The Ribelles family held it until 1491, when it passed to the Ponts. The current building was begun in the second half of the 16th century, after the barons left the old medieval fortress, and was rebuilt following five assaults during the Reapers' War.

The castle is still lived in: the flag flies over the homage tower and some rooms remain private, which is why it became the first privately owned castle in Spain opened to visitors. Inside, the visit passes through the prison, the cellar, the hall of coats of arms, a private oratory and a secret passage.

The castle is inhabited and some rooms are private, so visits are guided and limited to the rooms open to the public. The main facade has three doorways; the central one, with a semicircular arch and shields on the lintel, is the entrance. The castle communicates with the baroque church of Sant Urbà, built at the end of the 18th century next to the castle.

The castle is the first private castle in Spain to open to the public, and it is still inhabited: the flag flies over the keep and some rooms remain private. In 2024 it marks its millennium, counted from the 1024 order of Ermengol II of Urgell to build the fortress.