Sant Feliu de Codines

A hillside with a thousand years of record

The first known mention of Sant Feliu de Codines dates to 28 August 1002. It appears in a land donation to the monastery of Sant Cugat del Vallès, recorded on a brief parchment signed with crosses by those unable to write their names. More than a thousand years later, the settlement still occupies the same hillside, around 480 metres above sea level, among pine woods and overlooking the Vallès depression.

The position explains much about the place. From here the land drops towards the plain, while behind it the terrain rises again towards wooded ridges. Sant Feliu has never shifted far from its original footprint. Its history is layered rather than relocated.

From Ticiano to the medieval parish

Before the current name there was another: Ticiano. It was probably a small Roman agricultural holding linked to the surroundings of the River Tenes. On that same territory a chapel dedicated to Sant Feliu was later built, documented between 986 and 1002.

The saint in question, Feliu de Girona, was a 4th-century martyr with a strong presence in medieval Catalonia. His invocation was common in places where water was scarce or dependent on irregular springs, a detail that hints at the environmental conditions of the area in earlier centuries.

For a long period Sant Feliu remained within the barony of Montbui, a wide jurisdiction in this part of the Vallès. Official recognition as a villa came in 1793, granted by Charles IV. A few years later, at the start of the 19th century, the town council was organised. By then the settlement consisted of short streets, low houses and a church marking the highest point of the old quarter.

That structure can still be read in the layout today. The church continues to dominate the upper section, while the older streets cluster below it, following the natural slope of the land rather than any rigid grid.

The Plaça and the fabric of the old quarter

Plaça de l'Ajuntament retains the proportions of small 18th-century squares. It is neither grand nor monumental. The space forms an irregular rectangle paved in stone, designed more for passage than prolonged gathering.

At its centre stands an old stone well, now dry. Around it rise restrained buildings. The town hall occupies the site of the former house of the old barony. Opposite, the rector’s house preserves a simple stone doorway.

Three streets branch out from the square and organise the old quarter. Carrer del Villar leads towards the hermitage of the same name. Carrer de l'Església climbs up to the parish church. Carrer del Tenes slopes down in the direction of the valley.

Walking these streets reveals how building was approached here. Local stone was used for the walls, topped with traditional Catalan roof tiles. Facades were oriented south whenever possible to catch the light. Some houses still display arched doorways made of voussoirs and wrought-iron grilles recalling late 19th-century alterations.

The overall impression is one of continuity rather than dramatic change. Materials come from the immediate surroundings. The scale remains domestic. Even where reforms took place, they did not erase what was already there.

Cultural traces and a modest museum

In the late 19th century Sant Feliu began to attract people from Barcelona seeking periods away from the city. Local tradition mentions Antoni Gaudí as having spent a short stay in the area. Documentation is limited, yet the episode continues to circulate in village memory.

Other figures linked to Catalan cultural and political life in the early 20th century also passed through. The reasons were practical: cleaner air, quiet and a certain distance from Barcelona.

The Museu Arqueològic Municipal is housed in the former slaughterhouse, known as l'Escorxador. The building was adapted years ago as an exhibition space. The collection is modest but helps to trace the continuity of occupation in this part of the Vallès. Flint tools sit alongside Iberian materials, Roman remains associated with the old Ticiano and medieval pieces found within the municipal boundaries.

A visit does not take long. In a short time it becomes clear that this hillside has been inhabited for millennia, each period leaving fragments rather than grand monuments.

Everyday cooking and local produce

Food in Sant Feliu remains closely tied to domestic kitchens and the village bakeries. Coca de recapte appears frequently: a thin bread base topped with roasted vegetables and, depending on the day, fish or cured sausage.

Escudella catalana is still associated with Sundays or special dates in the family calendar. Large galets pasta, pilota meatball and a slowly prepared broth define the dish. It continues to mark particular moments of the year rather than everyday meals.

Small vineyard plots survive in the surrounding area. They do not form a large or highly visible production. Even so, wine made by local individuals can still be found, sold on a small scale and with little emphasis on labelling or branding.

Paths to the Cingles de Bertí and the Tenes valley

The Cingles de Bertí form a line of limestone cliffs rising above the Vallès. Several paths leave Sant Feliu and climb towards this natural escarpment. The ascent is gradual, passing through pine woods, holm oak and stretches of forest track.

At the top the landscape opens out over the Vallès plain. On clear days the horizon stretches far into the distance. In certain spots discreet remains of Civil War trenches survive, without special signposting.

Below flows the Tenes. It is not a large river, yet it has shaped the territory. A path follows its course in some sections, making use of old cart routes.

Near this route lies the Font de la Tria. The water usually runs cold throughout the year. For decades it served as a washing place for nearby households, and the stone basin still bears witness to that use.

Sant Feliu de Codines unfolds at an unhurried pace. Its history is not concentrated in a single monument but dispersed across streets, fields and footpaths. From a Roman agricultural presence known as Ticiano to a documented medieval parish and later villa, the same hillside has remained occupied, adapting quietly to each century while keeping its orientation towards the Vallès below.