Technical info
Dimensions of the estates
You can see the dimensions of the estates in Google Maps. The extension of both estates is as follows:
| Estate | Size (m²) | Size (acres) |
|---|---|---|
| Castell de Santiga | 488,203.001 | 120.64 |
| Can Fado Vell | 256,476.002 | 63.38 |
| Total | 744,679.00 | 184.01 |
1 As per Spanish land registry. See “2010. Certificado Construcciones Actuales + Certificados Agrupación”.
2 As per Spanish land registry. See “2007. Medición Topográfica Can Fado Vell”.
| Estate | Rural land | Irrigable land | Rainfed land | Forest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castell de Santiga | 486,168.00 | 25,550.00 | 315,178.00 | 145,440.00 |
| Can Fado Vell | 256,476.00 | 12,058.00 | 179,820.00 | 64,598.00 |
| Total | 742,644.00 | 37,608.00 | 494,998.00 | 210,038.00 |
| Share | 5.0% | 66.3% | 28.1% |
The estates are separated by a few hundred metres and connected by a track.
Fauna and flora
The country estates of “Castell de Santiga” and “Can Fado Vell” are located in areas of high environmental value. Both estates lie in an agro-forestry corridor of great scenic interest, which enjoys a formal degree of protection by the Catalan authorities.
The river courses, the variety of vegetation and the composition of the mosaic of agricultural and forestry areas give the area a paramount ecological importance.
The estates have two main water streams. Flowing from south-east to north-west across both estates, the Santiga river is considered a water sanctuary because of the abundance of water in an area so close to the city of Barcelona. The second stream, the Torrent dels Morts, a tributary of the Santiga river, flows from east to west through “Castell de Santiga” and springs in the Can Trabal forest, at the heart of the estate.
Heterogeneous landscapes are rich from the point of view of biodiversity because they give shelter to various species, especially birdlife such as the green woodpecker and the woodlark, as well as bees and insects such as queen butterflies and dragonflies. Every year you can also see several families of wild boar crossing the estates looking for new food in the mountain of St. Lawrence, and they are not the only mammals that do so.
The diversity of habitats is remarkable and closely linked to Santiga’s great botanical diversity. The changing landscape and the presence of microclimates such as river valleys foster a diversity of plants much greater than in the typical Mediterranean forest.
The estates have two remarkable habitats: Mediterranean, with an abundance of oaks and white pines, and the fluvial terrace, with its poplars, elms and white poplars.
Most of the land in the estates is nowadays dedicated to agriculture, from cereals to fruit and vegetables.
