The invisible fortress

During the Spanish Civil War, the Coll de Balaguer, a mountain pass located in our municipality, was considered a strategic position for the Republican defence. There, a defensive system was built. It consisted of trenches, parapets, machine-gun nests, powder magazines, shelters and other elements that, taking advantage of the natural features of the perimeter of the mountain pass, were adapted to the territory following the principles of dissemination and concealment of the fortifications.

In some cases, the fortifications remained unfinished and, ultimately, they were not used in the land attack after Franco's military offensive on the front of the Battle of the Ebro. With the Republican defeat, the fortifications were deserted and forgotten. However, Franco's naval staff did prepare an operation to land troops on the beaches of L'Hospitalet de l'Infant. The rapid outcome of the Catalan campaign meant that the operation was finally aborted even though hundreds of infantry troops and a large group of boats were waiting for the order in Vinaròs and La Ràpita.