Catalunya 1400

This is one of the region’s architectural gems. It was founded by Wilfred the Hairy in the 9th century to reorganise the valley’s religious life, starting with a community of Benedictine nuns under the direction of his daughter Emma.

The present building dates from the 12th century. Over the years it has been altered as a result of the different uprisings, building work and the earthquakes in the 15th century, but the architects Puig i Cadafalch and Duran i Reynals restored the building to its original state as it was in 1428.

On the exterior we can see decorations with Lombard bands, columns and capitals, forming a structure with two storeys or registers with large windows opened in it. Inside we must take note of the large pillars supporting the apse, the layout of the apse in a Roussillon style and, especially, the way in which three architectural styles exist side by side in harmony: Romanesque (the church), Gothic (the cloister) and Baroque (chapel of Els Dolors).

Another highlight not to be missed is the sculptural group of the Descent or the Holy Mystery (completed 1251), which is unique in the Romanesque world. This perfectly preserved carving in cherry wood represents Jesus’s descent from the cross with enormous dimensions and an unusually large number of figures accompanying Christ.

Also of interest is the Gothic cloister, begun in 1442, and the dome and decorative elements in the chapel of El Santíssim, which houses a remarkable carving of the Pietà by Josep Viladomat.

It can be visited from Monday to Friday (10 am to 7 pm).

• Thanks to a loan by this institution, visitors to the exhibition can admire the following works: two mouldings by Marc Canyes and the Lectern cloth dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.