La history of Blanes begins with a human presence in the territory of the current term of Blanes possibly dating back to prehistory. But, in fact, the first clear news about the inhabitants of our region refers to the pre-Roman Iberian society. Some classical authors mention its existence before the XNUMXrd century BC and place it between Ampurias and Barcelona next to the Larnum river.
The Iberian settlement was possibly located on the southern slope of the San Juan mountain and, based on the remains found, it seems that there was a watchtower on the summit that served to communicate with the other settlements in the area, such as Mont barbat.
El Blanes or Forcadell castle It is already mentioned in 1002 in a document by Viscount Sunifred of Girona, and around the year 1050 it will be his successors, the Cabreras, who will own the castle as a fief of the counts of Barcelona.
Below the Cabrera family, the dominion over the inhabitants of the Vila from the XNUMXth to the XNUMXth century was exercised by the family of knights known as Blanes. During the XNUMXth century, the feudal lords, Guerau IV de Cabrera and his subfeudatory Guillermo de Blanes, granted a series of privileges and freedoms to the port and the Vila de Blanes to favor settlement and economic growth.
In the year 1793 the history treatises tell us that the votive meeting of San Rafael was instituted in thanksgiving to the Virgin María del Vilar to save the Vila from the Great War. After a few years, during the French war (1808-14), Blanes acted as the French headquarters to prepare the assault on the fortress of Hostalric. In this period, there is resistance to paying the manorial rights, a symbol of the new times and the end of the Old Regime. The last lord of the Vila was the Duke of Medinaceli.
The important maritime activity will favor the establishment of a nautical school for high-altitude pilots that will coincide with the golden age of the shipyards, the most important on the Catalan north coast until the end of the century. Technical innovations such as the passage of the railway (1859), gas lighting (1881) or the first electrical installation (1889) favor growth. Despite this, the end of the century will be marked by the crisis of the shipyards, the cultivation of the vineyard and the migrations in America.
The history during the Civil War (1936-39) was complicated, the population suffered from bombings and hunger, in addition there was a deep division between winners and losers. With the postwar period, the period of deprivation and a strong repression against everything contrary to the regime will continue. With the political opening of the 50s, two important phenomena will take place: the beginning of mass foreign tourism and a large migratory movement from the rest of the Peninsula that will cause the population to double between 1955 and 1970. In this period they will experience great growth in the construction sector, services and also textiles.
Blanes currently stands out for its economic, political and social development, which means that it is considered one of the most important municipalities in the Girona region and is the southern border of the Costa Brava. Being an important tourist destination.
Its climate, its privileged landscape, its literary soul (Ruyra, Maragall, Sagarra, Bolaño...) or its location make Blanes one of the most attractive enclaves in the Costa Brava.