Serra de Montsec
The Serra de Montsec is a limestone massif of some 40km in length lying between Catalonia and Aragon, and disected by the rivers Noguera Pallaresa and Noguera Ribagorçana, which flow through the spectacular gorges of Mont Rebei and Terradets.
See also Mont-rebei Gorge
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History of Montsec (Wikipedia)
Montsec stands in a natural defensive position over the plains and is relatively protected from the icy winds from the north, and as such its strategic aspect was very important in times of the Reconquista. In the 10th Century, when the Califat of Córdoba was at its height Balaguer was the northernmost Arab city, and the castles of Castelló de Farfanya, Algerri, and Os de Balaguer were satellite fortifications, which together with a barrier of well-placed watch towers, formed the line of defense against the Christians to the north of Montsec. In the 11th and 18th Centuries the area had one of the densest populations in Catalonia, but the population level began to fall at the beginning of the 20th century, and nowadays emigration is prominent and many villages are virtually abandoned.
Montsec mountains, Montsec range
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