The legend of the eaten heart
At the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, Count Ramon de Château-Roussillon, a rough, fierce and proud man fierce and proud, ruled the county of Roussillon.
In the Salanque region, where marshes and fertile land intermingled, small watchtowers watchtowers that warned and protected the population from harmful Moorish incursions.
Neighborhood disputes between residents of the Agly were frequent at the time, and in an attempt to resolve one of them, Count Ramon sent his best knight, Guillem de Cabestany, to the village. one of many, Count Ramon sent his best knight, Guillem de Cabestany, an elegant, amiable and valiant young troubadour. To carry out his mission, Guillem passed through one of the towers one of the towers between Agly and Bourdigou, on the territory of Torreilles.
In this tower lived Bernat de Navata and his two daughters: the gentle Margarida and the beautiful Saurimonda. The two sisters fell in love with the handsome knight, but he only had eyes for the beautiful Saurimonda.
Back at Château-Roussillon, his mission completed, Guillem gave Count Ramon a brief account and, in a long poem, celebrated the beauty of Saurimonda.
Count Ramon, who was a widower, decided on the spot to marry such a marvellous and admirable young woman. unfortunate Guillem, who realized that when a treasure is discovered, it's better not to shout it from the rooftops. best not to shout it from the rooftops.
This marriage, which shattered the hearts of Saurimonda and Guillem, unhappily revived Margarida's feelings for the handsome knight. But the love that Saurimonda and Guillem was so ardent, the passion so deep, that the young men could not the flame that consumed them.
Margarida, scorned, jealous and unhappy, told the deceived husband of her misfortune. Enraged rage, the Count had his rival killed and asked for his head and heart to be brought to him. Then, with the utmost the heart of Chevalier Guillem with pepper and cinnamon. cinnamon. Without saying a word, he had this dish served to Saurimonda, who declared that she had never eaten a dish such a tasty dish.
Immediately, the treacherous Count told his wife the truth and, to lend credence to the story, had her present the brave knight's severed head. Mad with grief, Saurimonda ran to the top of the dungeon from the dungeon.
On learning of the crime, the Count of Barcelona, King of Aragon, overlord of the Count of Château-Roussillon, had the sinister Ramon imprisoned, confiscated his property and decreed:
A Catalan can't call himself a lover unless he's been to the Saurimonda fountain.
The Saurimonda fountain
In the heart of the village, on the place of childhood memories
A fountain dedicated to this legend was inaugurated in 2013. A commemorative plaque, translated into French and Catalan, recounts the legend of the eaten heart. Initially filled with water, the fountain now features a planted basin.
