Romanesque gems from the Pla de l?Estany

December 11, 2010 by Admin
Filed under Activities, History and culture

Winter weather here can be perfect with cold nights turning into warm clear days which is what we took advantage of today with a bike ride around some of the small villages between Banyoles and Figueres.

The Romanesque period (Xth to XIIth Century) left some wonderful examples in the churches of this area and these tiny towns are frequently a handful of houses gathered around the church and little else, normally on a hilltop to be able to spot any roving brigands and where the church bells fulfilled an important warning system.

At one stage we cycled along the pilgrim route more famous now as the Camino de Santiago which the Catalans are marking as the route which goes from the French border to the Monastery of Montserrat and across to Lleida before joining the better known part in Navarra and then on finally to Santiago de Compostela some 800 km's away. On the front of Santa Maria de Vilamari church is a statue from 1787 which clearly shows the pilgrim surrounded by the symbolic scallop shell and holding his walking staff and water gourd.

These old churches have a lot of charm and after all these centuries have blended into the scenery as much as the rolling countryside, fields planted with winter wheat and the oak tree forests.

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Posted via email from gironaJ

Tags: Banyoles, Camino de Santiago, churches, Figueres, Montserrat Monastery, Pla de l'Estany, Romanesque, Santa Maria de Vilamari

Charming spots: Sant Andreu de Pedrinyà

November 22, 2009 by Admin
Filed under Activities, Cultural tours, History and culture

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Many people visit the Dali/Gala castle at Púbol but do not realise that only a couple kilometres off the road there is a charming church hamlet to visit without any tourists, Sant Andreu de Pedrinyà.

Set off a country road which turns into a gravel path shortly after, but in a peaceful and beautiful location next to a stream with plantain trees which offer a cool place to rest and contemplate the small church.

Currently part of La Pera diocese there are some 20 inhabitants in the few houses surrounding the church.

The village goes back to the year 971 and the present church is documented from the 11th century and is a good example of Romanesque features revealed during the restoration in 1975.

The interior is simple stone with fragments of the original murals having been transferred to the museum of Girona for safekeeping.

The gardens are well kept and it is a nice spot to picnic if you are walking or biking in the area.

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Posted via email from gironaJ

Tags: castle church cycling, dali, Gala, Girona, La Pera, Pedrinya, Pubol, Romanesque, Sant Andreu de Pedrinyà, walking

Lleida la Seu Vella cloisters

June 26, 2009 by Admin
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Lleida is on the westernmost edge of Catalonia and on the main roads to Zaragoza and Madrid from Barcelona. The plains around here produce many kinds of soft fruit like pears, peaches, cherries and apples as well as grapes from the D.O.Costers del Segre. The key to the agriculture is having the river Segre as a source for irrigation as without it only olive trees, almonds and vines can survive the extreme conditions.

Lleida itself has a hill in the middle topped by the Seu Vella, a Romanesque cathedral which was later abandoned and incorporated into a modern fort in the 17th century.

The cloisters are some of the biggest and most beautiful in Europe, built in the 13th and 14th centuries and from where there are magnificent views of the surrounding city and countryside. There is a small museum which houses some of the recovered archaeological remains found within the walls of the fort. The contrast of the thick walls of the fort surrounding the delicate arches of the cloister makes this a very special place.

So, if you are driving by make sure you make a detour and revel in the beauty of the cloisters of the Seu Vella, you won’t regret it.

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Posted via email from gironaJ

Tags: Barcelona, Catalonia, Cathedral, la Seu Vella, Madrid, river Segre, Romanesque, Zaragoza

The MNAC-a must see museum

March 29, 2009 by Admin
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The MNAC (Museu National d'Art de Catalunya) sits in a priviledged position at the top of Montjüic with views over Barcelona. The building itself is massive and impressive but is currently under scaffolding for renovation but the collections it houses are the most spectacular part.
There are permanent collections that range from what could be salvaged from the Romanesque through the Gothic, Baroque to the Modern period. All have their own wing in this light and airy building as well as space for a concert hall, several restaurants and bookshops.
This is a must for all visitors who want to get a feel for the cultural richness of Catalonia as well as some of the best views of Barcelona and enjoying strolling through the tranquil and cool gardens all around.

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Posted via email from gironaJ

Tags: Barcelona, Baroque, Catalonia, Gothic, MNAC, Modern Art, museum, Romanesque

Ogassa-hidden Romanesque gems

January 19, 2009 by Admin
Filed under History and culture, Services, Tours

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Getting off the paved roads in the mountains above Camprodon and Ripoll is not generally recommended in winter with snow on the ground but if you have the right vehicle (a Land Rover in this case) and good maps it can be the perfect way to discover some hidden gems. As well as seeming to step back into a time when people lived in close proximity to their animals and the way of life revolves around these very animals, weather, seasons and church which is what is so different and appealing about this area.
The churches that are found in some of these remote places are some of the best preserved, at least from the outside, in the whole Pyrenees. It was really in the 12th Century that the existing churches were built at a time when there was peace and prosperity in these parts on top of older more basic structures that date back to the 10th Century and earlier.
Near the tiny village of Ogassa (pop 46 alt 1,200m) we find two particularly fine examples in Sant Marti Surroca and Sant Marti d'Ogassa. The first gets its name from the massive outcrop above it as it means under the rock in Catalan. These mountains later became famous for their mines, especially coal and lead in the 18th and 19th Centuries.Now the mountain scenery is the main attraction and in summer it is a great place to escape the crowds and heat of the coast.