Pobles abandonats: Fontanals (Baix Maestrat)

This village has a height of 540 m. It is located in the north of Xert on the other side of the Mola Murada. The population was about 45 inhabitants before the Spanish Civil War. Until the middle of the 20th century, Fontanals village is inhabited. The children of the town went to the school of the Hermitage of San Pedro and San Marc de la Barcella which is not far away, around 2 km to the west. Due to the presence of maquis opposed to the Franco regime in the surrounding mountains, the Guard Civil periodically tormented the population of Fontanals, accusing them of providing refuge and food to the guerrillas. The maquis, at the same time, also accused the people of the village of lack of cooperation. Finally, the inhabitants of Fontanals abandoned their village and settled there. The village is currently uninhabited. There were about fifteen houses, which only one has been reconstructed. This house is inhabited occasionally, the other houses are in ruins.