Vinça: Porte de la Baronnie

Vinça, Gateway to the Baronnie Vinça is situated near the “Via Confluentana”, the ancient Roman road which linked the Mediteranean coast to the highlands of Cerdagne and Capcir. Vinça is first mentioned “Castrum Vincanum” in a latin text of 939 AD and agin as “Vincianum”in 950AD. The castle of Joch

The Pierre Gipulo buildings Architects Felix Mercader and Samuel Banyuls In 1932, Jean Gobern, mayor of Vinça, decided that as the town hall was in such a poor state, it needed to be replaced. On 21st November 1932, he suggested to his local council that a new site  be purchased

The Main Street On the central square “Placa Major” of medieval times, now place Bernard Alart-there is a remarkable flagstone building which housed the Town hall and the offices of the Justice of the Peace until 1937. The main street-now Michel Touron – was bordered on each side with substantial

The fortified gates Vinça, ”the royal city of Vinça“, was a royal city from 1172 to 1356, then again from 1586 until the end  of the French Revolution. In1245, James the first the Conqueror, Count of Barcelona and King of Aragon, granted to the inhabitants of Vinça exemption from the

The fair ground On 7th July 1844, the Municipality, under the mandate of Dominique Verges bought a parcel of land, known as the “Amoreres” for 3000 francs in order to create a fairground which was later enlarged and planted with plane trees in 1847. The cattle fair: For the festival

The church of Saint Julien and Sainte Baselisse In 1600 the inhabitants of Saorla(Sahorle) expressed the need for a church closer to them than the parochial one in Vinça. In order to finance such a project the Viscount of Joch, master of the hamlet gave them permission to levy various

The church of Saint Julien and Sainte Baselisse Classified as an historical monument on the 27th of January 1987. A church is first mentioned in Vinça in1043.Thanks to a legacy given in 1686 by a rich merchant from Perpignan, Don Carlos Perpinyà i Solera who was originally from Vinça, a

The Carmel, a private place of silence and peace The Carmelite convent in Vinça was originally, in the late sixteenth century, a branch of the Capuchin community in Prades, at a time when Franciscan monks were a strong presence in Roussillon. The convent was a modest one-story building with a

The “poor house“ Saint Sebastian In the early fourteenth century, Jean Quinta, the priest of the village, bequeathed a property to the people of Vinça to have a new “poorhouse” built, the existing one being too small to meet the needs of the community. The “poor house“ accommodated pilgrims as

Fountains and Wash Houses To drink, cook, do the housework, wash oneself, wash the linen, refresh the cattle, water is indispensable to life. Throughout history, this vital prerequisite has been essential in determining the site of many settlements. Vinça is no exception, situated as it is, close to the river

Crosses and Oratories There are four red marble crosses in Vinça. Some of them retain the date of when they were constructed and the name of the patron who had them erected. A former damaged cross, which is no longer in the village, was sculpted in the early fifteenth century