One of the relevant parts of the feudal age are the “Quadres”. A Quadra is a combination of properties belonging to a feudal lord that, although assigned to a castle, it has a special agreement respecting this group of properties. The Quadra de Vilanova was one of the most relevant and important of the period.

We have no information indicating that Can Borrell belonged to this Quadra, but because of the importance it had in the area it’s interesting to be aware of its existence as this helps us put events in context.

Its formation

The origin of ‘la Quadra de Vilanova’ is recorded between two dates: 1303 and 1411. First in line, Bernat de Palou who had already bought the Gausac valley, acquires the family house Vilanova, during the XIII century he sells his holdings in the area. The act of buying is decisive in the formation of the Quadra, bearing in mind that Bernat de Palou had been acquiring different country estates that now, along with the Manor House, form part of and give the name to the aforementioned ‘Quadra de Vilanova’. In a document from 1411 the word is referred to for the first time; in the same document the name and existence of a mayor, Pere Verdaguer, also first appears.

It’s transfer

The Palaous held the Quadra property until the end of the XVI century, until 1590, to be precise, at this point the Enrills became the heirs. During the time that it was property of the Enrills, the conflicts between the Sant Cugat Monastery about the possession of the Quadra would be frequent until finally, the Quadra was sold to the Monastery in the year 1728.