Forcall: the arcaded square, three palaces and the memory of local trades

Forcall is known for a broad arcaded main square faced by several civic buildings, but the photograph does not show that space: it is an exterior panorama of the town with the Assumption church tower. Walking around the square is necessary to distinguish each palace.

The square is not one monument

Arcades enclose a space of roughly 3,500 square metres that evolved from a position outside the former town into its social centre. It contains Casa de la Vila or Palau de les Escaletes, Palau dels Osset-Miró and Palau dels Fort. The town hall’s double stair and the Osset-Miró’s large timber eaves belong to separate buildings.

Osset-Miró retains Aragonese Renaissance features

The Miró family built the palace in the sixteenth century; it later passed to the Osset family of Cantavieja. Its façade is identified by carved timber eaves and an upper gallery of 36 arches. The restored building operates as a hotel, so seeing the façade does not imply free access to all rooms.

The museums explain work and celebration

Forcall has an archaeological collection with material from Lesera, a museum devoted to espadrille making and an interpretation centre for Santantonà. They are not interchangeable displays: one covers the Iberian-Roman city, another documents a trade that sustained part of the local economy and the third explains an officially protected intangible celebration.

Regional information says some visits must be arranged with the tourist office. Confirm which venue opens, whether admission is combined and which palace areas are accessible. This documentary edit does not verify hours, capacity or accessibility on site.