Girona - Sant Pere de Galligants

The Benedictian monastery Sant Pere de Galligants was built, outside the city walls, from 962. The monastery in 1117 was united to the Abbey of Sainte-Marie de Lagrasse (now France, 170kms north), but kept an own abbot and so at least some autonomy.

In 1362, when the monastery was enclosed within Girona´s city walls, it was redesigned to a more defensive shape. It started to decay from the 15th century, and in 1592 it was united to the also crumbling monasteries of Sant Miquel de Cruïlles and San Miguel de Fluviá. In 1835 the monastery was given up, the abbot and the last four monks left. In 1857 the Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya moved in.

Using the remains of on older church, the contruction of the three nave basilica started in 1130. Seeing the campanile-like octogonal tower and all the lombardic bands, there is a clear influence from Northern Italy. This may be connected to abbot Oliba of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa (971-1046). He was a descendant of Wilfred the Hairy, count of Berga and Ripoll and later bishop of Vic. He had been in Italy at least twice and had invited "lombard masters" to create churches in their new style, what they did in Cuxa.

Our schedule was still very "French", so this was the first time, we crashed into the Spanish Siesta - and had plenty of time in the shady park.