Santa Maria de Tortellà church

The first documented references we have of Santa Maria de Tortellà church date back to 1004, when the bishop Ot from Girona claimed it to the count of Besalú, Bernat de Tallaferro. The present construction, which dates from the 18th century, is Neoclassical and has lintels of the year 1756. However, the inside corresponds to a restoration made after the Civil War. Santa Maria church played a leading role during the Third Carlist War (1872-1876). In August 1873, Tortellà was attacked by the Carlists and the population had to run away and hide in the forests. However, a group of 42 people, named “Volunteers for Liberty”, fought the attack and remained inside the church. The Carlists tried to assault the church and burned down most of the buildings, but the volunteers resisted until August the 23rd, when an army of 1,600 soldiers arrived from Olot and succeeded in fighting the Carlists.