Tour Around The Ripollès
Tour around the Ripollès: Sant Joan de les Abadesses, Campdevànol, and Camprodon Gombrèn
If in the previous report did a monograph of the town of Ripoll, in this text I am going to talk about the other three locations are part of the land of Counts and abbots: Sant Joan de les Abadesses, Campdevànol and Gombrèn.
Sant Joan de les Abadesses is a town smaller than Ripoll but also has an important historical and architectural heritage. The monastery of Sant Joan de les Abadesses is undoubtedly the most outstanding construction.
Like that of Ripoll, which was built in the ninth century the Catalan count Wilfredo the Hairy to repopulate the area. The first abbess was Emma??
Daughter of the Count, who did very well the work entrusted by his father and very quickly repopulated Ripollès County. Indeed, such was the importance of the monastery of Sant Joan de les Abadesses its influence even reached the district of Vallés Barcelona (about 100 km away).
Left, the monastery of Sant Joan de les Abadesses. Right, monastery and cloister of XII century fountain
The reason that the possessions of the monastery were becoming more extensive was very simple. Every time a girl came into the monastery’s family gave the institution a dowry, usually on land, so the monastery of Sant Joan de les Abadesses became one of the places with more wealth in the county, a fact that began to incite the envy of many nobles.
In this sense, the Abbess Emma had to go to Barcelona to settle three lawsuits he filed his own brothers, who wanted to seize the wealth of the monastery. Finally, the nobles get their target and cast women from the monastery in the eleventh century after accusing them of prostitutes to the Vatican.
After explaining a brief history of this monastery, I would like to talk about the monument itself which blend three art styles: Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque. The church, the twelfth century, has a thirteenth-century carving of great artistic value: the Blessed Mystery composed of images of Jesus, Mary, Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, San Juan and the two thieves who died crucified next of Christ. Other highlights of the church are the tomb of Blessed Miró and the beautiful altarpiece of St. Augustine.
The Holy Mystery, beautiful carving of the thirteenth century
One of the most beautiful in the monastery of Sant Joan de les Abadesses is its cloister, the fifteenth century, in whose center is a twelfth century font. Legend has it that the evil Comte Arnau, mythical figure in the history of Catalonia, visited every day to the Abbess Adelais and entered the monastery by an underground road that led directly to the cloister. And is that the figure of Comte Arnau (Count Arnaldo) is vital to understand the history and traditions of Ripollès. In this regard, recently opened in the palace of the Abbey of this town, right next to the monastery, an interpretive center dedicated to the legendary symbol of Catalonia.
Abbey Palace, which houses the Interpretation Centre Comte Arnau (Sant Joan de les Abadesses)
Finally, another place worth visiting is the Moli Petit (small mill), which belonged to the monastery of Sant Joan de les Abadesses. In this place you can see how the old flour mills and how people lived who were engaged in this trade. This place is also a perfect place for birdwatching.
Moll Petit, flour mill in Sant Joan de les Abadesses
Campdevànol, natural heritage Ripollès
The third location of this project is Campdevànol, a municipality has no great architectural heritage (it is only the church of Sant Llorenç) but has some excellent resources. In this sense, another objective of the brand and Abbots Counts Earth is the recovery of Campdevànol Camino Real that runs from the village of the same name Gombrèn. Currently works only to the town of Campdevànol and has a length of about 4 miles, but once completed the project will have an area of ??8.5 km. The truth is it’s a very nice way to do either on foot or by bike. It runs along the banks of the river merde, a tributary of the drilling as long as you find it beautiful natural spaces such as Font of Querol.
Poza dels Banyuts in Gombrèn
On the way to the castle of Mataplana we stop en route at the Gorg dels Banyuts, a pool of great beauty that, according to legend, is the gateway to hell. Tradition has it that the perfidious Comte Arnau was found in this pond to a fairy and asked them three wishes: a sword to be invincible, a bag was always full of silver coins, and a stone of beauty that made him a true seducer. Also according to legend, the Comte Arnau out every night of the pond with his horse at ten pm and again dip it in the direction of hell where the black rooster sings at twelve o’clock (from the Gorg dels Banyuts can see the place where it is assumed that the cock crows, the call Rock Gall). What it is true is that many of these legends and stories were born not to sleep to alert the population. This swimming pool is prohibited because it is very deep and the water seeping through it can engulf a person.
Gombrèn: Castle and Sanctuary Montgrony Mataplana
Our next stop on the road is in the municipality of Gombrèn: the remains of the castle of Mataplana. The castle belonged to the Comte Arnau de Pallars, Mataplana Baron, a historical character who lived in the fourteenth century and is believed to have inspired the legend of Count Arnau. The Comte de Pallars died in the year 1376 deep in debt and the castle becomes the property of the monastery of Sant Joan de les Abadesses. This land became a farm and the castle fell into oblivion. Not until 1984, which found the first remains Mataplana Castle and began his recovery that continues today.
Castle Mataplana
Finally, in the municipality of Gombrèn, Montgrony find sanctuary, a beautiful place where tradition and religion go hand in hand. At the top is the church of Sant Pere de Montgrony, a beautiful XII century Romanesque building.
Sanctuary on Gombrèn Montgrony
To reach it you have to climb 144 steps, like those in the ladder of Jacob mentioned in Genesis in the Bible. Popular tradition that the Comte Arnau was condemned to wander like a lost soul in the land of Ripollès for nonpayment of soldiers who built that ladder. In Montgrony Hospedería Sanctuary is scheduled to inaugurate an exhibition soon Català Otger and nine barons of Fame, legendary heroes who were the first to fight the Saracens.
Church of Sant Pere de Mogrony
An excursion: Camprodon
Worth making a trip to Camprodon because of its proximity. Camprodon is a small population of about 1700 inhabitants, located at the confluence of the rivers Ter and Ritort. A must is the Pont Nou (New Bridge) and Isaac Albéniz Museum, dedicated to world-famous Catalan composer who was born in this town. Isaac Albéniz Museum is scheduled to move soon to the building Marquis Cal.
New Bridge Camprodon
Camprodon is an elegant town and the proof is the elegant Avenida Maristany, created in the early twentieth century, and whose dimensions are the same as those in Barcelona Paseo de Gracia. On both sides of the avenue stately homes stand as known from the Oak Grove, where Republican President Negrin lived his last days before leaving for his exile.
Camprodon has several modernist buildings like Camprodoní Casal and the beautiful Hotel Camprodon. Both buildings are located in the Plaza del Doctor Robert, one of the initiators of the summer in the town in the late nineteenth century. The commercial hub of this town revolves around Valencia Street, so named because, according to the story but this thesis is not completely verified, Jaime I El Conquistador Camprodon visited just after the conquest of Valencia. On this street there are beautiful examples of modernist architecture as the building Can Suris. At the end of Valencia Street are two beautiful examples of religious architecture: the church of Santa Maria, the fourteenth century, and the Monastery of Sant Pere of the twelfth century, whose interior is every year the venue of Albénic Isaac Music Festival (albeniz.cat).
Gastronomy
The cuisine is excellent Ripollès. The lamb, local breed, horse meat and sausages are perhaps the standards of the local cuisine. As sweet climax to any meal is highly recommended and popular Caricies Moixanes, a nougat-filled wafers.
Where to eat?
More Repunxó
Ctra de Camprodón, km 15
17860 Sant Joan de les Abadesses
Tel 972 721324
Fonda Xesc
Plaça Roser 1
Gombrèn
Tel 972 730404
www.fondaxesc.com
Restaurant one star Michelin
Recommended Visit
Interpretation Centre Comte Arnau
9 Abbey Square
17860 Sant Joan de les Abadesses
Interpretation Centre Comte Arnau