Church of Sant Vicenç Facts for Kids

The Church of Sant Vicenç of Cardona (which means Saint Vincent in Catalan) is a beautiful Romanesque church in Cardona, Catalonia, Spain. It was built a long time ago, between the years 1019 and 1040. You can find it right in the middle of the old Castle of Cardona.

History of the Church
Amazing Architecture
- Inside the Church
- Outside the Church
Old Paintings
Gallery
See also

History of the Church

This church started as a small chapel inside the Cardona Castle. The castle belonged to a powerful family called the Viscounts of Osona. This first church was mentioned in old papers in the year 980. The viscounts protected it and helped it grow.

In the 11th century, many stone churches began to be built in the area. Some of these were part of Benedictine monasteries. The Church of Sant Vicenç was started around 1019. It was officially opened in 1040, thanks to the support of Viscount Bermon I.

Amazing Architecture

A view of the church's rounded back sections (apses) from far away.

The Church of Sant Vicenç was built to be very impressive. It is super tall, reaching over 19 meters (about 62 feet) high! The church is made from carefully cut stones, which makes it look strong and elegant. The stone blocks are all the same size, showing great skill in building.

Inside the Church

The main hall (nave) inside the church.

Inside, the main hall, called the nave, has a curved stone ceiling known as a barrel vault. On each side of the nave, there are two smaller hallways called side-aisles. Three strong arches cross the nave to help support the heavy stone roof. These arches continue down the walls as flat columns, ending with decorative tops called capitals.

Round arches lead into the side-aisles, which also have stone ceilings. These ceilings are called groin vaults. High up on the walls of the nave, small, rounded windows let light into the church.

Right before the altar, there is a special area called the crossing. Above this, you'll see a large, round dome. This dome has an opening at the very top, like an eye, called an oculus. It also has small windows around its base. This church was one of the first in Western Europe to have a dome over its main hall, mixing old Roman building styles.

The rounded back sections (apses), side arms (transept), and the tall tower (lantern tower) of the church.

At the crossing, the nave meets the transept, which are the "arms" of the church. The transept is a bit wider than the nave but doesn't stick out much from the sides. This design gives the church a cross shape when viewed from above. Beyond the transept, the church ends with three rounded sections called apses, each matching the size of the aisles.

Outside the Church

From the outside, the church looks very neat and orderly with mostly straight lines. The only exceptions are the three rounded apses at the back. Above the whole building, an eight-sided tower, called a lantern tower, rises up. This tower is directly above the dome inside.

Old Paintings

The entrance area, or portico, of the church used to be covered with beautiful wall paintings, called murals. Some pieces of these paintings were saved and fixed in 1960. You can now see them at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) in Barcelona. Even though the portico was built in the 11th century, the paintings themselves were made in the 12th century.