Castelló d'Empúries | |
Settlement Type: | Municipality |
Pushpin Map: | Spain Province of Girona#Catalonia#Spain |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Catalonia |
Coordinates: | 42.2583°N 3.075°W |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | Spain |
Subdivision Type1: | Community |
Subdivision Type2: | Province |
Subdivision Name2: | Girona |
Subdivision Type3: | Comarca |
Subdivision Name3: | Alt Empordà |
Leader Title: | Mayor |
Leader Name: | Anna Massot i Font |
Unit Pref: | Metric |
Area Footnotes: | [1] |
Area Total Km2: | 42.3 |
Population Density Km2: | auto |
Castelló d'Empúries (in Catalan; Valencian pronounced as /kəstəˈʎo ðəmˈpuɾiəs/) is a town and municipality in the Alt Empordà in Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It lies 9 km east of Figueres.
In 1079, Castelló d'Empúries became the capital of the Empúries county due to the previous capital, Sant Martí d'Empúries, being too easily sacked by pirates. 1325-1341 saw a period of large expansion of this capital town, which ultimately ceased being the capital once the county joined the Crown of Aragon in 1385.
The old town is somewhat dwarfed by the neighboring urbanisation of Empuriabrava, on the coastline of the Costa Brava.