Sant Mateu
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Sant Mateu

Sant Mateu

Medieval Valencian town whose Gothic church and arcaded Plaça Major recall the Order of Montesa.

Sant Mateu is a small medieval town in the interior of Castellón province in Valencia, Spain. It was once the capital of the Maestrat region and served as the seat of the Order of Montesa — the Valencian successor to the Knights Templar — which explains the grandeur of its Gothic archpriestal church and the scale of its arcaded Plaça Major relative to its modest size today.

The town is a worthwhile detour if you are travelling between Valencia and the Ebro Delta or Tarragona. The stone arcades of the main square are well preserved, and the Historical Museum has a good collection documenting the area's medieval history. Several Gothic palaces — among them the Palau Borrull — line the streets around the square, and the nearby Ermita dels Àngels makes for an easy walk out of town. It is a calm, unhurried place that sees relatively few tourists despite its architectural interest.

Guide

Eating Out

Sant Mateu eats Maestrat style — robust interior cooking based on lamb, kid, snails, mountain herbs, and the local extra virgin olive oil, which has its own protected denomination of origin. A handful of restaurants under the arcades of the Plaça Major and on nearby streets serve menús del día at modest prices, with more ambitious tasting menus on weekends.

Guide

Getting There

Sant Mateu sits inland from the Mediterranean coast in northern Castellón province, about 35 km from Vinaròs on the coast and an hour's drive north of Castellón de la Plana. The fastest approach is the AP-7 motorway to the Vinaròs exit, then the CV-10 and CV-132 inland through olive country. Coming from Tarragona or Tortosa, take the N-340 south and turn inland at Vinaròs.

There is no train station and bus connections are infrequent — essentially one or two services a day from Vinaròs. A car is the only practical way to combine a visit here with the rest of the Maestrat.

Guide

Things to Do

Sant Mateu's old centre is small enough to walk in an hour, but the density of medieval architecture in those streets is what makes the place. The arcaded Plaça Major, the great Gothic archpriestal church, and a clutch of Gothic palaces around the town make for a satisfying half-day visit, ideally combined with lunch at one of the restaurants under the arcades.