Sant Martí de Biure is a tenth-century Romanesque church located in the municipality of

Sagàs Sagàs is a small town and municipality located in Catalonia, in the comarca of Berguedà. It is located in the geographical area of the pre-Pyrenees. Population Sagàs is essentially a collection of farmhouses, or masia, masies, separated by low ...

, Catalonia, northern Spain.

History

The church was built sometime around the turn of the tenth century by the inhabitants of the town of Biure, then called ''Benevivere'', who had recently come to the area as part of the attempts at repopulation of the areas recently conquered by the Christian

Counts of Barcelona The Count of Barcelona ( ca, Comte de Barcelona, es, Conde de Barcelona, french: Comte de Barcelone, ) was the ruler of the County of Barcelona and also, by extension and according with the Usages of Barcelona, usages and Catalan constitutions, of ...

from the Moors. With the encouragement of a local baron named Guadamir, bishop Nantigís of Urgell consecrated the church on 13 December 903, establishing it as the seat of its own parish. In 1044 it was re-consecrated by bishop Guillem Guifré of Urgell, who confirmed its status as an independent parish. It is possible that the church was a residence of the

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

from the end of the 12th century until the extinction of the order in the fourteenth century. Soon afterwards, as a result of a drop in population in Biure, the church lost its status as an independent parish, and it became part of the parish of Sant Andreu de Sagàs. Still, a side chapel and a

sacristy A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records. The sacristy is usually located ...

were added onto the church at around this time. Around the year 1890, the bishop of Vic, Josep Morgades took a 'majestat' (probably a crucifix of Christ wearing a robe) from the church and placed it in the Episcopal Museum of Vic. It is not known whether the piece is still in the museum's collection. The church was restored in the 1950s.

Description

Sant Martí de Biure consists of a single rectangular nave covered with a vaulted stone roof. The northeastern end is capped by a semi-circular apse. There is a small chapel attached to the northwestern wall of the church.

Gallery

Image:Sant Martí de Biure 05.JPG Image:Sant Martí de Biure 01.JPG Image:Sant Martí de Biure 06.JPG Image:Sant Martí de Biure 14.JPG Image:Sant Martí de Biure 07.JPG Image:Sant Martí de Biure 13.JPG Image:Sant Martí de Biure 09.JPG Image:Sant Martí de Biure 10.JPG Image:Sant Martí de Biure 11.JPG Image:Sant Martí de Biure 03.JPG Image:Sant Martí de Biure 08.JPG Image:BIURE02.JPG

References

External links

Website of the municipality of Sagàs. Includes a picture of Sant Martí de Biure at the bottom of the right-hand margin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sant Marti de Biure Marti de Biure Romanesque architecture in Catalonia