Near the village, There have appeared some ruins from the Neolithic Age, some funeral Iberian ruins and some pieces of the Middle Age.

The urban origin can be found at the Arabian age, who could decide to set a Castle which dependent of the Castle of Siurana.

When Siurana, which was the last Muslim place in Catalunya to fall, surrended in 1153 Ramon Berenguer IV gave the population permit to Bertran de Castellet. He received all the lands of Siurana, in which Prades was included.

In 1159 Ramon Berenguer IV gave to the inhabitants of "Pratis" a piece of land to let them build their houses, and have their own cultivation lands. They could use the pastures and forests of the whole mountain of Siurana, and received the rights over the Church and the forge too. However, the Count still held the right over the mill, the oven, the tithe and the first fruits. This system allowed the king to conserve some power on the Manor Sir, in order to promote the free property.

As Morera tells, when Bertran de Castellet died, his ownership was divided into two jurisdictions, and the title of "Marquis" disappeared. The eastern part (the Mountains of Prades) remained under the domain of the king, who named a Mayor, and the other lands were given to Albert de Castellvell as a part of the Barony of Castellvell. From this Barony, two territories were separated before the Cartoixa d'Escaladei and the Monastery of Escornalbou were founded.

In 1241, the Barony of Castellvell became a part of the Barony of Entença after a marriage between two members of these families.

It is believed that there existed a Jewish community during the 14th.century.

During the "Guerra dels Segadors" Prades stayed behind the troops of the French and Catalan, that were protected in different times in the village. In 1641, the governor of Tarragona, under the support of the Poblet Abbot and some Mayors enemies to the king Felipe IV, sent an expedition to the fortified village, which surrended nine days after. The walls were very damaged.

Ten years later Prades was still the central point of the operation of the French-Catalan army. This was the cause that determined the caught and failure of the Castle of Siurana, the occupation of Espluga de Francolí and Prades, and possibly the failure of the Castle of Prades.

In these years, when the Sir of the Earldom of Prades was Lluís d'Aragó Folc de Cardona i Còrdova ( twelfth Count of Prades, Duke of Segorb and Cardona and Count of Empúries), Prades could mint its coins.

When in 1663 the daughter of the twelfth Count of Prades, Caterina, married to Juan Francisco de la Cerda, the Duke of Medinacelli, the sirs of Prades left the village definitely. In the beginning of the 18th.century, the Earldom of Prades went to the hands of Fernández de Córdoba, the brand new Dukes of Medinacelli. In 1714, the "Archivo Ducal" (called the Medinacelli Archivo), which contains all the information about Prades, was moved to the cathedral of Tortosa. Nowadays it is in Sevilla. The "Desamortización" of Mendizábal ended with the manor rights, although right now, the duchess of Medinacelli is the twenty-fifth Countess of Prades.

During the first "Guerra Carlina" (in 1837), the village of Prades was burnt and damaged. In 1874 was again attacked and damaged by the carlins.

NOTABLE PEOPLE OF THE VILLAGE

Margarida de Prades was the great-granddaughter of Jaume II. She married with the king Martí de Catalunya i Aragó (Martí l'Humà) in 1409.

Mateu Fletxa "el vell" was born in Prades in 1485. He was an important composer in the Renaissance. Mateu Fletxa "el jove" was a professor of the princesses Maria and Joana, the daughters of the Emperador Carlos V.

The beatified Joan de Santa Marta was born in Prades in 1578. He belonged to the order of San Francisco The died in 1618 in Meaco (Japan), where he was teaching the Christianism.

The Child of Prades (Pere Balsells i Masgoret) died before he was twenty years old. He developed an important function in the last Carlin War.

- Festa de Reis (6th.of January).
- Meeting at the Hermitage of l'Abellera (23rd.of April).
- Festa de la Farigola (last Sunday of May).
- Aplec de sardanes (Meeting for dancing "Sardanes") (second Sunday of July).
- Festa del cava (third Saturday of July).
- Senglar Rock.
- Concurs de gossos d'atura (first or second Sunday of August).
- Fairs and feasts (fourth weekend of August).
- Festa de l'11 de Setembre (Feast of the Eleventh of September).
- Festa d'inici de la "Campanya de la patata de Prades" (Potatoe's pincking Starting Season) (third Sunday of September).
- Major Feast in the Day of Santa Florentina, patroness of the village (third weekend of October).
- Festa de la castanyada (Chestnuts' Feast) (31st.of October).
- Christmas Day.
- New Year's Eve Feast.

Within the urban nucleus:

- Porch of the Major Square.
- Rounded Fountain form the Renaissance.
- Church of Santa Maria la Major: gothic with a single nave. The facade is from the Renaissance and has a triangular piece at its end. To the south, there is a door with an arch of round arch behich a small open court.
- Pieces of the wall and the Castle.
- Two Romanic Doors.
- Gothic arch.
- Squared Watchtower.

Ouside the centre:

- Hermitage of la Mare de Déu de l'Abellera (Leisure area, 1020 m)
- Stone with a perforation and lake.
- Fountains: Blanca an other natural fountains.
- Hill of La Baltasana (viewpoint of the eastern counties, 1201 m)
- Mountain of Les Espurrides (viewpoint of Prades, 1062 m)
- Planis of Pagès (wide forest area. Very beautiful and with some interesting places as the Cova d'en Pere and the Grinjol Stone)
- Mola d'Estat and Table of the Four Townships. It is said that the Mayors of Vimbodí, Mont-ral, Capafonts and Prades used to meet there.

- "Llibre de Prades", de Torrell de Reus y de Ignasi Planas de Martí.
- "Noms de lloc i de persona del terme de Prades", de Ramon Amigó i Anglès.
- "Les muntanyes de Prades", de Ignasi Planas de Martí.
- "Gran geografia comarcal de Catalunya"
- "Enciclopedia Catalana"
- "Arrels (viles i pobles)".