A 15th-century castle among apple orchards in l’Empordà
Cortal Gran is a fortified medieval house in Sant Pere Pescador, in the Alt Empordà on the Costa Brava. The Caramany family received the lordship of Sant Pere Pescador in 1365, and the castle was built in the 15th century at the centre of the farm as a defence against pirates and bandits. The family has farmed this land ever since, and the castle is still surrounded by 125 hectares of apple orchards. Juan Granada de Caramany inherited the building in ruins in 1984, restored it, and made it his family home in 2000. In 2011 the family opened the gardens, extended the porches and annexes, and began hosting weddings and events. Today Juan and Paula Granada de Caramany run it themselves.
Ten spaces, and a plan B for each of them
The estate is a chain of very different settings. The medieval courtyard of arms, framed by vaulted rooms and the original 15th-century kitchen, hosts civil ceremonies, aperitifs and welcomes. The greenhouse, built by the family in iron and glass, stands in the gardens and works for ceremonies, welcome drinks and photos. The Hall of Arches, an interior room with three stone arches and a large skylight, and the reception room under the main arch are the covered alternatives if the weather turns. The great porch, 300 square metres opening onto the garden and glazed in winter, seats up to 300 guests for the banquet. There is also the forest, cooler in summer and a favourite for ceremonies, the iron temple surrounded by water, a stone disco room with its own wooden bar, and an optional wooden food truck for late-night snacks.
Private gardens and a family touch
The fenced garden covers 16,000 square metres and includes a palm-tree corner, an infinity-shaped pool, a Balinese hut and the temple, and the orchards around it keep the whole estate completely secluded. In the greenhouse the family also offers a Mediterranean menu of local produce from the Empordà. Couples who married here write on the venue’s own reviews page about the plan B for rain, the freedom to choose their own suppliers, and the house itself, where they got ready and spent the wedding night.
Good to know
- Location: Carretera de Sant Martí d’Empúries s/n, 17470 Sant Pere Pescador (Girona), with an office in Barcelona.
- Capacity: up to 300 guests under the great porch.
- Contact: Juan Granada de Caramany, +34 639 32 74 31, [email protected].
- Website in English, Spanish, Catalan, French and German.
