Perched on a rocky spur above the Terradets gorge and the Noguera Pallaresa reservoir, Castell de Mur is one of the best examples of early medieval military architecture in the Pyrenean foothills. Together with the adjacent Romanesque collegiate church of Santa Maria de Mur, it forms an ensemble of exceptional historical and artistic value.
The castle was built in the 10th century by the Counts of Pallars as part of the southern frontier fortification system against Moorish incursions. The cylindrical keep — rising some 15 metres — and the curtain walls date largely from the 11th century and follow the classic Lombard Romanesque style brought to Catalonia by Italian master builders.
The collegiate church of Santa Maria, founded around 1069, was one of the most important religious establishments in the region. Its apse was decorated with extraordinary Romanesque frescoes depicting Christ in Majesty and scenes from the Apocalypse. Tragically, these frescoes were removed and sold in 1919 to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, where they remain today. Reproductions now decorate the apse interior.
The castle and church were declared a National Monument in 1931. Ongoing restoration has stabilised the towers and walls, and the small surrounding village of Mur — with only a handful of permanent residents — adds to the sense of stepping back in time.