Cartographic map of the boundaries of the Marro castle in the Montserrat mountain in the 9th and 10th century

Abstract

The article proves it is possible to draw a map of the boundaries of the Marro castle located on the northern face of the Montserrat mountain range. It analyses historical sources from several researchers who studied the landforms that were part of the castle’s boundaries in the 9th and 10th centuries. This article presents a cartographic map with contour lines thanks to rigorous fieldwork and geographic and documentary research of the area occupied by the former Marro castle. The map identifies in the current toponymy the old toponymy of the boundaries of the castle. The article introduces a literature review of the existence and possible location of the castle. It includes a geographic summary of the formation of Montserrat and a study of historical sources of the area. Fieldwork has been crucial to draw the map with contour lines, using the Instamap tools of the Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia. It is a new contribution to the study of this area that opens the doors to further geographic and historical research regarding the past and present of this area in the northern part of Montserrat.