Monastery of Santa Maria de Ripoll

 visit the Romanesque convent of Santa Maria de Ripoll
The facade of the monastery. Photography: Mario Martí
The monastery of Santa Maria is a monastic Benedictine complex located in the Catalan town of Ripoll. The result of a radical restoration carried out in the 19th century, the current monastery still preserves original elements so valuable as to be considered one of the emblematic monuments of the Catalan Romanesque. The complex consists in a austere church with fivenaves finished by a large transept crowned by seven apses, and by the cloister. The western facade of the church is flanked by two bell towers of different heights.
The monastery of Ripoll was founded in the 9th century by Count Wilfred the Hairy and his wife Guinedilda. Over time it became one of the most important religious, cultural and economic centers of the High Middle Ages in Catalonia and pantheon of the dynasty that ruled the Catalan territory until the fifteenth century. After numerous extensions, at the end of the XIX century the monastery, already abandoned and very deteriorated, it underwent a restoration in neo-Romanesque style directed by the architect Elies Rogent. In the year 1931 the monastery is declared Cultural Asset of National Interest.
Highlights
The extraordinary portico of the mid-12th century, considered one of the great sculptural works of European Romanesque art. Made with blocks of sandstone approximately one meter wide, the porch is conceived as an arch of triumph divided into seven horizontal stripes and is fully sculpted with biblical scenes and vegetal and geometric motifs, that this is why it is known as the Stone Bible. In the center stands the door itself, framed by seven archivolts supported on columns.
The cloister of two floors, started in the 12th century and finished in the 16th century. Despite the long duration of the works, the cloister is a unitary and harmonious space. It has a slightly trapezoidal shape and is formed by four galleries with semicircular arches resting on double columns with richly decorated Corinthian capitals.
The county tombs. In the transept of the basilica can be seen the tombs of some of the counts of Cerdanya - Besalú and Barcelona, as the founder himself.
The Interpretation Center, located in the Congregation chapel of the church of Sant Pere, contiguous to the monastery. Using advanced and interactive museographic techniques the Interpretation Center enables visitors to discover the history of the monastery and its importance.
Contact
+
Contact
Address: Abat Oliba Square - Ripoll (Girona) 17500
Tel.: +34 972 704 203
Email: informacio@monestirderipoll.cat
Timetable
+
Timetable
April to September
Monday to Saturday: 10am to 2pm and 4pm to 7pm (3pm to 7pm in August).
Sundays and holidays: 10am to 2pm.
Sundays from June 26 to September 11: 10am to 2pm and 4pm to 7pm.
October to March
Monday to Saturday: 10am to 1.30pm and 3.30pm to 6pm.
Sundays and holidays: 10am to 2pm.
Guided visits
From 17 to 31 July: every day at 11.30pm.
From August 1 to September 4: every day at 11.30am and 5.30pm.
The rest of the year: every Sunday at 11.30am.
Prices
+
Prices
General admission: 5.50 €
Retirees, unemployed, Young people up to 25 years, companions of persons residing in Ripoll, members of large or single parent families: 4.70 €
Children from 5 to 12 years of age: 2.75 €
Children under 5, people living in Ripoll: free admission
Groups of 21-30 people: 4.70 € / person
School groups: 2.50 € / student
How to get here
+
How to get here
By bus. The bus company Teisa connects Ripoll with Barcelona, Girona, Puigcerdà, Olot and other towns in the area.
By train. Ripoll railway station. Line R3 of commuter (Rodalies) trains (L'Hospitalet de Llobregat - Barcelona - Ripoll - Puigcerdà).
By car. From Barcelona (106 km). Highway C-17 (Barcelona - Vic - Ripoll). From Girona (87 km). The highway C-66 to Besalú. Continue on the A-26 highway to Olot and the N-260 road to Ripoll.
Location
+
Location
GPS: 42°12'04.8"N 2°11'26.0"E / 42.201323, 2.190566
Nearby
Attractions
Accommodation
Attractions
Accommodation