Romanesque monastery of Vilabertrán, little gem to discover in Costa Brava

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Cloister of the monastery of Vilabertrán in the province of Girona

In the most recent trips to Catalonia The opportunity to visit a monastery has never been missed.

Such is the case, by way of example, of monastery of San Pere de Roda at High Ampurdán from Girona, or monasteries of the Cistercian Route such as Poblet or the Santes Creusboth in Tarragona.

This custom has not been broken on my most recent trip to the regions of the Garrotxa and the High Ampurdán.

Vilabertrán monastery church in the province of Girona

The truth is that before it had no knowledge of the existence of Vilabertrán monastery, which after the visit I will tell you that there are two characteristics that have really caught my attention.

Vilabertrán monastery history

First, that it is a monastery which in his time was run by canons, and not from the usual monastery of monks, for which it is also known as the canonical.

The canons are clergymen who lived in community following the St. Augustine's Rule.

This was the case around the year 1060 when in this small village the priest who took care of his small church promoted that a few clergy congregate to live in community.

Cloister of the monastery of Vilabertrán in the province of Girona

Consecrated this monastery in the year 1100, at the end of the thirteenth century the building was fortified and had its greatest boom at the end of the fourteenth century.

Behind the Confiscation of 1835, of the monastic set of Vilabertrán only his church was functioning as a parish, and after the Civil war He went on to house a military barracks.

It is currently a building run by the Department of Culture of the Government of Catalonia, which is still in the process of restoration.

What to see in Vilabertrán monastery

The other feature that will surely attract your attention is the special charm that oozes this monastery, which clearly justifies a getaway to visit it.

Golden silver cross in the church of the monastery of Vilabertrán

In front of other monasteries of greater dimensions, in the one of Vilabertrán highlights the great sobriety and uniformity of the Catalan Romanesque style of its architecture.

From the outset, its church, where you will start the visit, is a great example of architectural austerity.

Of basilical plant with, three ships and barrel vault in the central one, in the transept three semicircular apses are opened with the maximum sobriety.

On the north facade is known as Chapel of the Rocaberti, built in the fourteenth century and with Gothic style.

There in a glass enclosure shows the most outstanding artistic piece of the monastery, a golden silver cross from the 14th century, from the transition from Romanesque to Gothic, and which had the function of being a reliquary.

Tower of the monastery church of Vilabertrán

It really surprises that it has been preserved despite the many vicissitudes experienced throughout its history.

From the church building stands a single Catalan Lombard style tower, with three floors and square floor, which was built in the twelfth century.

Next to the church is the cloister of the monastery of Vilabertrán, with trapezoidal shape.

In front of other cloisters that you can see in some monasteries, this one has more collected dimensions, but it maintains the total uniformity of its Romanesque style, with a very simple ornamentation in its capitals.

Old bedrooms of the monastery of Vilabertrán

In Vilabertrán Do not expect to find sections of the cloister of other architectural styles.

On the contrary, its great sobriety and recollection will make it easy for you to feel the atmosphere that was lived in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, when the monastery was built.

Throughout the cloister you can visit the usual rooms, such as the old one sacristy or the chapter room, both with a barrel vault.

Or also on a second floor the room that was used as bedroom of the canons, in this case with a gothic style wooden roof.

The refectory, meanwhile, shows a pointed vault.

Cloister of the monastery of Vilabertrán in the province of Girona

Next to the cloister a large courtyard opens that actually formed when the fortifications were built in the monastic complex.

In this way, the 15th-century abbey palace building was integrated into it, as well as another building that is thought to have been used as a pilgrim's hospital.

This area of ​​the fortified courtyard is not open to visitors as it is in a gradual restoration process.

In sum, the Vilabertrán monastery It is a little gem worth discovering during a trip along the Costa Brava and the interior of the province of Girona.

Courtyard of the abbey palace of the monastery of Vilabertrán

Vilabertrán monastery opening hours

The visiting hours of the monastery of Vilabertrán they are, in the summer season, from July to August, from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The rest of the year, from Thursday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. and on Sundays and holidays, from 10 to 15 hours.

He price of admission It is 2.50 euros.

How to get to the Vilabertrán monastery

You can find the monastery of Vilabertrán in the province of Girona, north of Figueras, near towns such as Perelada and Castelló de Ampurias, on the Costa Brava.

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