The Mateu Tower, known as La Miranda, is probably the most sorely missed building in Llinars and still looms large in the town’s memory. A Modernist building, it was located on the land owned by Damià Mateu, a multifaceted entrepreneur from Llinars. Despite surviving the War, it was unable to withstand the construction boom of the 1960s.
La Miranda was built in 1906 on the corner of Carrer Anselm Clavé and the Giola stream, on land owned by Damià Mateu. Its design is connected to Antoni Gaudí and his disciple Francesc Berenguer, as it has construction features characteristic of both artists. According to the town’s oral tradition, Gaudí came out by train to supervise the construction on several occasions, and the house was a gift from Damià Mateu to his wife, so that she would have a place to gather with her friends.
The house had a circular floor plan and slender outline, and stood out from the rest of the buildings in the town on account of its height. It was comprised of a ground-floor garage and three additional storeys. The third floor was crowned by a mosaic-clad bell-shaped dome.
The estate served as the Mateu family’s second residence up until the Civil War. On 29 January 1939, a truck piled high with TNT exploded on Avinguda Comas i Masferrer, a stone’s throw from La Miranda, slightly damaging the tower. The family home, on the other hand, was severely affected. The devastating explosion killed 18 people, destroyed 27 houses and damaged 31% of the town’s buildings. The Mateu family abandoned the estate and the town’s children began using it as a place of recreation. La Miranda was ultimately unable to withstand the construction boom of the period and was torn down in 1962.