The pond of Fórnoles

In the Comarca del Matarraña, there are numerous water systems that were crucial to the lives of their inhabitants until recent times. Given the distance of many urban centres from the rivers, most villages depended on ponds (bassa) to collect rainwater and supply the population.

Located strategically at the entrance to the village on an impermeable clay base, the pond of Fórnoles is one of the few in the comarca still preserved. Its main purpose was to supply water for domestic use and irrigation. Curiously, unlike in other villages, it was not frequently used for livestock, as Fórnoles had several springs with drinking troughs.

Around the pond, the remains of interesting water-related structures can be found. Visitors can observe the vestiges of an olive-oil mill that used a bar-press system, powered by animal and human strength, and that also used water for cleaning and grinding olives. Two double pillars that supported these presses still stand.

Next to the pond, the old washhouses are still preserved. These structures, with their basins for washing and rinsing clothes, are a living testament to the historical importance of water systems in the daily life of the Matarraña comarca.