Salou, in Tarragona, is moving ahead with a twinning agreement with Monzón after Mayor Pere Granados attended the Aragonese town’s Templar Festival on 23 May 2026.
The festival, declared a National Tourist Interest event, recreates Monzón’s medieval past and its link with King Jaume I. Granados joined local authorities in the parade and watched the main historical recreation during the visit.
Monzón’s celebration returns the town to the 13th century, when the infant Jaume, later King Jaume I, lived in the castle under the care of the Templars and their master, Guillem de Mont-rodon. The event includes parades, markets, Bedouin tents, crafts and historical reenactments, with hundreds of residents involved and thousands of visitors attending.
The visit also forms part of the twinning process between Salou and Monzón. Both town councils have already approved the agreement unanimously, and Granados described it as an example of union between a town in Catalonia and a town in Aragon, linked by history, traditions and especially by King Jaume I.
Granados also said Salou was the gateway to the sea for the Crown of Aragon. In 1229, King Jaume I sailed from Salou’s natural harbour to conquer Mallorca, a moment the municipality marks each year with its King Jaume I Festival.
After the summer season, the two towns plan to formalise the partnership with an institutional agreement signed by both mayors. For more local coverage, see our news tag.