Torredembarra's old quarter sits on a gentle hilltop overlooking the coast, its street plan largely unchanged since the medieval period. The narrow lanes radiate from the Plaça del Castell, the civic heart of the town, where the Castell de Torredembarra — also known as Castell dels Icart — dominates the square.
The castle was built by Lluís d'Icart, lord of the town, beginning in 1565 and completed around 1580. It is the only surviving new civil construction from the Catalan Renaissance period in all of Catalonia, making it an architectural landmark of national importance. The building follows a square plan with four corner towers, designed as a residence-fortress to command the town from its highest point. Following Mediterranean tradition, rooms are arranged around a central patio with porticoed facades and arcades. The vault covering the portico between the main entrance and the central courtyard is attributed to master builder Pere Blai, who also worked on the Palau de la Generalitat in Barcelona. The Icart family had held the lordship of Torredembarra since 1391. The castle was fully restored between 1995 and 2000 and declared a Bé Cultural d'Interès Nacional (BCIN) — the highest category of heritage protection in Catalonia. It now serves as the Town Hall (Ajuntament).
Opposite the castle stands the Torre de la Vila (Tower of the Town), the oldest surviving building in Torredembarra. Built probably between the 12th and 13th centuries in a Mudéjar-influenced style, it likely formed part of the original fortifications — one of four towers in a defensive wall erected at the beginning of the 13th century. Originally known as the Torre Grossa (Great Tower), it was reformed during the Gothic period and retains 15th-century Gothic windows, including a distinctive conopial arch window and a coronella window. The tower was restored in 1981 and stands as a visual link between the medieval origins of the town and its later Renaissance development.
The Parish Church of Sant Pere Apòstol (Saint Peter the Apostle) completes the monumental core. Construction began in 1677 after an episcopal licence was granted in 1676, and the church was blessed on 4 December 1680. It is a three-nave basilica with a barrel vault and central cupola. Between 1771 and 1774, the transept and apse were added in baroque style. The church houses a notable baroque organ from the 18th century and a 17th-century painting of Santa Rosalia. The bell tower and portal date from an earlier phase of construction around 1558.
The medieval walls enclosed the settlement and two of the original entrance portals survive: the Portal de Padrines and the Portal de la Bassa. Remnants of a wall buttress are also visible on Carrer de Mañé i Flaquer. The streets around the Plaça del Castell — particularly Carrer Ample, Carrer Baix de Sant Pere, Carrer Eduard Benot and Carrer de la Carnisseria — display a rich mix of 18th and 19th-century architecture. Carrer Antoni Roig is notable for its baroque facades and later Modernista (Art Nouveau) additions from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The heritage trail through the old town covers approximately 2 km and takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes at a leisurely pace. Guided group tours can be arranged through the local tourist office, particularly during winter months. The walk rewards slow exploration: doorways reveal carved stone details, wrought-iron balconies overhang narrow lanes, and small squares open unexpectedly between the buildings.
