Ponteilla (Pontellà) - Nyls (Nyils)
The village with two bell towers
Here we are in the plain of Aspres. Here, the vine occupies most of the arable land. As for the villages, the dominant color is the red of the brick used in the construction, with beautiful coatings of ocher hue. Ponteilla can be seen from a distance thanks to its two bell towers, which do not correspond to two churches: the first one is over a beautiful door of cairns (Catalan bricks), and only the second belongs to the church, a building of origin romane deeply reworked over the centuries. This church is dedicated to Saint Stephen.
A short distance away, the small village of Nyls has two churches: one, of Romanesque origin, dedicated to St. Martin, is heavily damaged, but under restoration. It was replaced in the 17th century by another church, dedicated to the Virgin.
The first mention of the village officially dates from 1180 under the name of "Villa of St. Nicholas of Aquaviva", but the place was already known to the Romans since it was found in 1835, the ruins of the "Villa Pontiliano" of this time. Ponteilla is found in a document by Uldagar de Castelnou who owned the third part of the tithe of the church of Ponteilla. Not only Viscount de Castelnou but also bishop of Elne, he decided quite naturally to give this third part of the tithing to the bishopric.
Ponteilla will really develop during the twelfth century. It was at this time that a new religious order was created to fight against Muslims to preserve the holy places of Jerusalem: Knights Templar or knights of the Temple. The expansion of the Templars in Roussillon will be around their main commandery, Mas Deu. Ponteilla being located nearby, the village will largely pass under the guidance of the Knights Templar. During the trial of the Knights Templar and the passage of their property to hospital, some rights were purchased by individuals.
Thus in 1353 François de Bellcastell took a claim on Ponteilla of Pierre de Fuster. This claim shifted the seigniory of Ponteilla to the family of Bellcastell who kept it until June 17, 1377. An order of the royal prosecutor sent Ponteilla to Gueralda dez Volo (Gueralda du Boulou), and so Ponteilla changed his hand again.
In 1793, Spain attempted to seize Roussillon militarily. In the same year the village was fortified because of the construction of the "Ponteilla Camp" by Ricardos, the Spanish general-in-chief. His headquarters was at Llucia House in Trouillas.
