Plaça de Can Xammar
The construction of the wall was a real headache for the people of Mataró. The work went on for thirty years! For this reason alone and due to its size, it is considered the most important public work of the city in modern times.
Once Barcelona had been secured, the king of Spain Felipe II ordered the fortification of other cities along the Catalan coast. At that time the dangers were many: corsair attacks, epidemics, tidal flooding and flash floods from the hills, etc. At that time, the fortification of the church of Santa Maria had already proved insufficient to protect all the townspeople.
Work began on Mataró wall in 1569 and did not end until 1600, always under the direction of the royal engineer Jorge de Setara, who was also responsible for fortifying Perpignan.
Interestingly, the time was not the only drawback of this construction. The people of Mataró also had to pay for the wall from their own pockets. This was the pledge for not having paid any tribute since joining the Crown in 1480, which meant a great economic sacrifice.
In this square we see a very long and well-preserved section of the modern wall and the remains of a watchtower at one of the corners. The wall was built taking advantage of the natural slope and was filled with land and rubble. It is approximately 96 m long by 7m high and is 75 cm thick.
The wall of Mataró is a typical example of a wall from modern times. It has little to do with Roman or medieval walls, in which priority is given to the height of the wall and the size of the ashlars. This wall is not excessively high. It is made with small and medium-sized irregular stone and has a slope at the lower part of the inner area that serves two functions: it cushions the effect of impacts from artillery and allows heavy weapons to be lifted to high parts of the wall.
