OLD SPA OF CARDÓ

During the Carlist war, the friars had to leave the monastery of Cardó, taking refuge in neighboring towns. This abandonment was made definitive with Mendizábal's confiscation decree of 1836. Part of Cardó was auctioned in 1844, and the monks' belongings were dispersed, including tapestries, books and valuables. Most of the books were burned. For two decades, Cardó was abandoned due to economic difficulties. In 1866, businessmen from Tortosa transformed the ruins of the monastery into a spa, taking advantage of the properties of its waters. They rehabilitated the outbuildings in better condition, but the property belonged to the State. In 1870, the State still owned the building, but José Monclús had acquired the adjacent farmland. In 1872, Salvador Cabestany Gasol and his uncle bought four properties in Cardó, including the monastery buildings, and in 1877 Cabestany was the sole owner. During this period, numerous renovations were made, converting the old church into a dining room and other cells into guest rooms. The central courtyard of the cloister was covered with crystals, and the church was transformed into a party hall. In 1883, Cabestany restored the buildings, turning them into a modern spa. A new chapel was built in 1884, a road in Tivenys in 1885, and a road in Tortosa in 1887. At the end of the 19th century, the spa gained fame, and in 1899 Cabestany promoted its development with the building of San Salvador. In 1902, construction began on a new road in Rasquera, inaugurated in 1904, which increased the number of visitors. With the death of Cabestany in 1912, the spa became the property of his children. During the CIVIL WAR of the 20th century, the Cardó Spa had three main roles:

1. Place of rest and detention of the bishop of Tortosa: At the beginning of the military uprising, the spa was a place of rest. The bishop of Tortosa, Félix Bilbao, was on vacation there when the uprising began. A group of armed revolutionaries arrested him at the end of July and decided to take him to Tortosa, the seat of the bishopric. The mayor of Tortosa, Joan Berenguer Cros, tried to divert the convoy to Tarragona, but he did not succeed, and the bishop was made available to the Anti-Fascist Committee of Tortosa, which finally accepted the transfer to Tarragona, with the exception of the FAI.
2. Refuge for civilians: The owner of the spa, Salvador Samsó, hung the French flag, indicating that the resort was under international jurisdiction, which deterred other revolutionary groups from acting violently. This allowed civilians, mainly from Benifallet, fleeing the ravages of war, to find safety in the spa. These civilians were kindly welcomed by the soldiers stationed at the site.
3. Republican military hospital: At an undetermined time in 1938, the spa became a republican military hospital, operational during the Battle of the Ebro. The medical lieutenant Josep Maria Raméntol Rifà recounted the dangers of the access road for ambulances arriving at night. Avel·lí Artís-Gener (Tisner), a wounded soldier, was also admitted to the spa to recover from his wounds.