Masía Fortificada Mas de Roig

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Site of Cultural Interest, Masía Fortificada Mas de Roig is a fortified farmhouse that is over eight centuries old.

As you walk along Camino de la Cruz in Alto Maestrazgo, some 8km from Villafranca del Cid, you will come across Masía Fortificada Mas de Roig, a fortified farmhouse that was listed a Site of Cultural Interest in 1949. It is sometimes also known as Torre de Mas de Roig.

The fortified building was used for agricultural and residential purposes. You can find several examples of this type of structure in and around Villafranca del Cid. As there was no local castle to provide protection should the area find itself involved in conflict, a number of fortified farmhouses were built to guarantee refuge to farmers and their families.

Torre de Mas de Roig sits on the slopes of the northern hills close to Castellfort. Torre Figuera and Mas de Tena are other fortified farmhouses located nearby. They define the landscape here which is principally agricultural and peppered with windmills and lampposts.

The tower is typical of those found in the area. It has a rectangular plan with stone walls that are reinforced at the corners with ashlar. The roof is sloped and flat, and covered with Moorish ceramics. The tower is surprisingly wide. The main façade faces south-west and the windows are thought to have been added at a later date.

If you’re exploring Villafranca del Cid and Castellfort, you will come across a number of fortified farmhouses. Little historic vestiges that tell us what country life used to be like. Make sure you come and visit the next time you're in the area.