Explore Religious Heritage Across Europe

Sant Jeroni de la Murtra was built in the 15th century. This monastery is the place where the Catholic Monarchs received Christopher Columbus on his return from his first voyage to America. Today it is the headquarters of the Catalunya-Amèrica Foundation.

This monastery was founded in 1579 by the nuns who moved here from their monastery in Santa Maria de la Rápita, which was a constant target of pirates. Its construction began in 1580 on the site where the Trinitarians had established their first convent in Tortosa, which was then in ruins. The monastery began to decline in the 18th century and was definitely abandoned in 1967. The church and the convent are occupied by various organisations

The monastery of Sant Joan de les Abadesses was founded around 887 with the patronage of Count Guifré (Wifred the Hairy). The monastery, along with other monasteries in the area, played a central role in the colonisation and repopulation of the Ripoll valley on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees in the 9th century. Its church was consecrated in 1150. The Gothic cloister from the 15th century is also preserved.

The monastery of Sant Llorenç del Munt was founded in the 11th century by monks of the Monastery of Sant Cugat. The church is the remnant of the old monastery that has been preserved in good condition.

This monastery was founded thanks to Count Guifré II of Cerdanya, who built a church dedicated to Saint Martin. The church was consecrated in 1009. It remained active until it was secularised in 1782 and in the following years it fell into ruin and was plundered. The monastic complex has been occupied by the Communauté des Béatitudes since 1988.

The Monastery of Sant Pau del Camp, believed to have been founded in the 9th century, is one of the best preserved Romanesque buildings in Barcelona. It was declared a National Monument in 1879.

The Benedictine abbey of Sant Pere de Besalú was founded in 977 by the Count-Bishop Miró III Bonfill. The Romanesque church has been preserved, with three naves and a semicircular apse that covers them entirely, including an ambulatory. It has a transept with small apses open in the thick walls, not visible from the outside.

The origin of this monastery is to be found in an old church dedicated to Saint Peter which had been consecrated in November 904, when it was endowed with various rights and properties. In the mid-10th century, Count Guifré II of Besalú decided to found a monastery on the site of that church, which he had previously taken possession of. The church is the only part of the former Benedictine complex that has been preserved. It was restored in the early 20th century and reconsecrated in 1933.

The monastery is located on a peninsula surrounded by the river Ter, next to the rocky walls of the cliff. During the 20th century the historical importance of the place was appreciated and several initiatives led to its protection, transfer to public ownership and restoration.

The Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligan, founded in the 12th century, is one of the most important monastic complexes in Girona. It currently serves as the headquarters of the Girona branch of the Museum of Archaeology of Catalonia.