Portal de Bergós

In the medieval fabric of Valderrobres, the gates that pierced its walls played an essential role. These walls, whose construction began around 1390, were an initiative of Archbishop García Fernández de Heredia, who requested permission from King Juan I el Cazador to fortify the town, later confirmed by Martín I. It is likely that before this date older defensive structures already existed, dating from the Christian conquest in 1169, which required repair or expansion in response to the demographic growth of Archbishop García's era.

The defensive network of Valderrobres was made up of seven gates, each serving as a communication route with the surrounding villages. The Portal de Bergós, specifically, functioned as the exit towards the neighbouring village of Torre del Compte.

As time passed, each of these gates was consecrated to a patron saint. The Portal de Bergós was placed under the protection of the Purísima Concepción, a devotion still hinted at today by the presence of a niche in the façade of a house adjoining the walls, although it is currently empty. The walls and their gates not only maintained their defensive function against armed conflicts, but in more recent times adapted to protect the town from intruders and bandits.

Today, the Portal de Bergós is part of a private property and its upper structure has been adapted for use as a dwelling. This transformation allows a vital part of Valderrobres' history and architecture to live on, integrated into the urban fabric and recalling its defensive past and its connection with the surroundings.