Entorno y orígenes – EN
ORIGINS AND ENVIRONMENT OF MAS VINYOLES
A farmhouse with more than VII centuries old
FROM ITS ORIGINS TO TODAY
Mas Vinyoles is a Catalan farmhouse with documented origins in the thirteenth century . At the beginning of the 16th century the farmhouse was built (or rebuilt) in its current location with smaller dimensions than the present ones. During the 18th century it was rehabilitated and enlarged and that is how it came to be today. Between the years 2011 and 2014 a pioneering renewable energy engineer ( Ermen Llobet ) and a pianist-harpsichord passionate about baroque music (Pepa Bargay) undertook the umpteenth rehabilitation in the history of Mas. Pepa's sensitivity and perfectionism guided a balanced rehabilitation between historical respect, functionality and comfort . Ermen, helped create a 100% sustainable environment , based on the use of the forest biomass and solar energy . Located in Sant Pere de Torelló (Barcelona), the Mas Vinyoles estate currently has an area of 60 hectares and can be considered an oasis of nature, with cultivated areas (aromatic herbs, forages and vineyards) oak groves, marl areas and a lush riverside forest around the Torrente de Vinyoles that runs through the farm. In addition to family house and the rural tourism accommodation , the Mas has a 200 m2 coworking space , spaces for company events and a small business incubator that houses startups driven by Mas Vinyoles Venture Factory , the project to promote entrepreneurship.
THE BEAUTY OF THE ENVIRONMENT OF MAS VINYOLES
LOCATION
The municipality of Sant Pere de Torelló , located about 620 meters of altitude, is in the North of the Osona region . It forms part of the Ges River Valley (tributary of the Ter) and is the confluence area between the Plana de Vic and the first foothills of the Catalan Pre-Pyrenees. Sant Pere de Torelló It has an area of 57.47Km2 of which almost 80% is forest and highly attractive natural landscape . This makes it a good place to visit, go on excursions and walks ... or practice sports such as cycling, running, paragliding, hang gliding, kayaking and horse riding. Sant Pere is a 360 ° vertex connected with Ripollès, Lluçanès, Plain de Vic, Cabrerès and Garrotxa.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Beyond the cultivation areas, on the Mas Vinyoles estate we find oak groves, marl rock and stream forest around the stream and its tributaries. Here the alder, acacia, elm, birch, aspen, hazel, ash or elder predominate ... and shrubs or plants such as boxwood, ivy, bramble or hawthorn. Near the farmhouse we also find about forty walnut trees and various fruit trees, planted at different times. The presence of forests is one of the main attractions of the Ges Valley. The presence of deciduous forests stands out, especially the beech forest, in the northern part of the Sierra de Bellmunt, Serra de Llancers and Cabrera. These places, crossed by old royal roads and difficult to access, have allowed their conservation despite the fact that this forest has traditionally been exploited to obtain beech wood or other similar tree species. The best-known beech forest in the Vall del Ges is La Grevolosa, located in a valley with difficult access, very close to the Barcons coll and the baroque hermitage of Sant Nazari, with spectacular oaks and boxwoods. There are several beech trees classified as monumental trees of Catalonia.
FAUNA
In the surroundings of Mas Vinyoles live a remarkable variety of mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds. Among the first we can find the wild boar, the fox, the badger, the roe deer, the squirrel, or the bat, in addition to the rabbit and different varieties of mouse and mole. We also find reptiles such as the water snake, the green snake, the lizard or the Pyrenean viper and amphibians such as the salamander, the toad or different types of frog. As for the birds, we can find the gray heron, the woodpecker, the robin, the jay, the hoopoe, the owl, the raven, the hawk and some eagle. Particularly noteworthy is the chirping of birds in "la lliça" (central patio) of the Mas, in the early spring hours. In other corners of the Vall del Ges, in addition to those mentioned, we can find, for example, the genet or musk cat, a protected species. In the riverbed we also find the egret, the small sandpiper, the egret, the kingfisher, the cattle heron, the green-necked duck, the Iberian desman, the water shrew, the river trout or the mountain barbel .
