Santa Maria de Serrateix is the Romanesque church of a former

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

abbey located on the BV-4235 road in Serrateix in the

comarca A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, ...

Berguedà Berguedà () is an inland comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain, lying partly in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees, and partly in the Catalan Central Depression. Geography The northern half of Berguedà, known as Alt Berguedà (“Upper Berguedà� ...

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...

History

The monastery dates to c. 940 when a group of monks settled in the area. From 977, it came under the protection of the Counts of

Cerdanya Cerdanya () or often La Cerdanya ( la, Ceretani or ''Ceritania''; french: Cerdagne; es, Cerdaña), is a natural comarca and historical region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain. Historically it was one of the counties ...

and

Besalú Besalú () is a town in the ''comarca'' of Garrotxa, in Girona, Catalonia, Spain. The town's importance was greater in the early Middle Ages, as capital of the county of Besalú, whose territory was roughly the same size as the current ''comarca' ...

while Froila became the abbot (977-993). Housing 13 monks, it later received donations from

Oliba Cabreta Oliba Cabreta (c. 920 – 990) was the count of Cerdanya from 965 and count of Besalú from 984 until his abdication in 988. Life He was the fourth son of Miró II and Ava. He inherited Cerdanya from his eldest brother Sunifred II and Besal ...

(whose

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...

lies here) and his brother Miró. A new church built in 1077 was consecrated in 1126. In the fourteenth century, while only six monks were living there, the bell tower was destroyed but was rebuilt under the abbot Berenguer de Lluçà in 1373. The monastery later came under the authority of the

Bishop of Urgell The Diocese of Urgell is a diocese in Catalonia (Spain) and Andorra in the historical County of Urgell,

. The church was rebuilt in the Neoclassical style between 1798 and 1827. The monastery was also transformed in the Neoclassical style by the architect Josep Torrevedella, the work being completed in 1793. The buildings suffered considerable damage during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

that destroyed several monastic dependencies. The tomb of Abbot

Berenguer de Torigues Berengar is a masculine name derived from Germanic roots meaning "bear" and "spear". The name appears frequently among certain noble families during the Middle Ages, especially the Unruochings and those related. Bérenger is the French form, while B ...

was declared a

Bien de Interés Cultural A Bien de Interés Cultural is a category of the heritage register in Spain. The term is also used in Venezuela and other Spanish-speaking countries. The term literally means a "good of cultural interest" ("goods" in the economic sense) and inclu ...

monument in 1982, now preserved in the Museu Diocesà i Comarcal de Solsona. Santa Maria de Serrateix became a Bien de Interés Cultural site in its own right on 1 June 1999.

References

External links

Monasterio de Santa Maria de Serrateix with several photographs
Benedictine monasteries in Catalonia Bien de Interés Cultural landmarks in the Province of Barcelona Christian monasteries established in the 10th century Romanesque architecture in Catalonia 10th-century establishments in Spain Religious buildings and structures completed in 940 {{Spain-Christian-monastery-stub

History

References

Further reading

External links