Main square – Firal dels Bous

Santa Pau's main square is one of the most distinctive features of the village. As of 1300, the market took place in the square and, in 1364, it started to hold an annual fair. This is why it is also called Firal dels Bous. Initially, this fair was celebrated on Saint Andrew's Day, but the date was changed at a later date. Nowadays, it is the place where Sant Antoni fair, which has become important thanks to the Harikot beans, is celebrated. Santa Pau's main square stands on the south side of the castle and is dominated by Santa Maria parish church, which dominates the square with its imposing bell tower. Santa Pau was one of the epicentres of the Third Carlist War (1872-1885) and played an important role in the Second Carlist War, also called “la guerra dels Matiners” (1846-1849). During the Third Carlist War, the majority of the people from Santa Pau supported the Carlists. In fact, many men joined the Carlist army under General Savalls commands. Can Batlle manor house, in Sallent de Santa Pau, was turned into a shelter place to give support to the Carlists who were travelling through the county. The owner, Vicenç Oliveras, even gave shelter to Alfons Carles, who was the brother of the Carlist pretender to the throne. It is important to note the war's ideological baggage. Before the war, the town hall, governed by the Liberals, had planted a tree of Liberty. When the Carlists took the town, as a way to prove its victory, they cut it. Then, using its wood, they built a cross, considered to be a Christian symbol.