The hilltop was first occupied by the Iberians in the 5th century BC.
They built rectangular stone houses along a central street, protected by walls and towers. Then in the 3rd century BC the settlement was expanded when terraces were constructed on the hillside.
Sadly, the Iberians were forced to leave their village around the year 200 BC when Roman armies occupied the area.
In modern times the settlement has been named the Poblado de San Antonio, even though the saint wasn’t born until many hundreds of years after it was abandoned.
Excavations at the site started in 1903 and it’s an interesting site to walk around. Entry is free and expansive views of the surrounding area can be gleaned from the hilltop.
The walk to the site from Calaceite is a short one; around 1.5km one way.
Starting in the town, we cross the N-420 road to join the A-1413 road to Valderrobres; the collection of signs at the junction include one for Poblado de San Antonio and another for the San Cristóbal hermitage which is also en route.
By keeping to the right-hand side after the junction, we can go up the steps and along the walkway.
The walkway runs along the side of the road and then bears right to start ascending on a track, which bears right again, becoming a surfaced lane.
There may be the occasional vehicle going up the road to the hermitage or settlement. Ascending the lane, there are good views back over Calaceite.
At the top of the rise there is an option to bear right to walk a short distance for a look at the hermitage which was constructed in the 18th century.
Coming back down to the turning, go straight on to get to the settlement, following the sign for ‘despoblado ibérico de San Antonio’.
It’s a couple of hundred metres to get to the entrance, where we have a sign for ‘poblado de San Antonio’.
In Spanish, a ‘poblado’ is generally a village, and ‘despoblado’ means unpopulated, or an abandoned village.
It quickly becomes evident why the Iberians chose this spot to live; it was easy to fortify and offered panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, allowing them to see approaching enemies.
Unfortunately when up against the might of Rome this didn’t do them any good.
Information panels give insights in Spanish and English into the lives of the villagers and how they lived more than 2,000 years ago.
They had a large cistern made of stone to collect water to serve their needs; this can still be viewed as you walk around the remains of the settlement.
After enjoying the views and a taste of ancient Iberia, we head back to Calaceite on the same route taken earlier.
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