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I have captured for La Vanguardia Readers' Photos a fantastic sunset from the Vinyanova farmhouse, in El Bruc, looking towards the fabulous mountain of Montserrat.
In fact, in its origins, this mas acted as an authentic pantry for the monastery. Today the land is still cultivated and it operates as a restaurant.
According to the history of this farmhouse, "in 1566, the monastery of Montserrat bought land in El Bruc to plant vines and increase the production of wine from another estate it had in Esparreguera and which, since then, would be known as the Vinya Vella , to differentiate from this other one, which was called the Vinya Nova". The estate was later expanded with new acquisitions in Collbató.
Vinya Nova was much more than a simple wine farm and "soon became an important productive complex that provided food to the religious, altar boys, hermits and pilgrims of the monastery", and also a residential complex, "prepared to welcome the monks during long periods".
At that time, the property was mainly dedicated to the cultivation of vines and olive trees, while the terraces near the house were converted into orchards.
A set of monastic and religious rooms were set up with a kitchen, refectory, cells, library and chapel, among others, which "were used by monks who were taking temporary breaks or were going to retire when they were old."
But, due to the confiscation decrees of the years 1820 and 1835, the property was expropriated by the State and sold to the wine merchants Joan Antoni Miret and Miquel Formosa, who in 1846 divided the house and land between them.
In 1891 Josep Termes, great-grandfather of the current owner, bought the part of Bruc, while that of Collbató was acquired years later by the Rogent family.
The farmhouse was inhabited by masovers until 1958. Currently, "the entire estate belongs to the Solá-Lien family, who cultivates the land and manages the restaurant, which has been operating since 1993."
