Sant Martí, Biure facts for kids
Sant Martí de Biure is a very old church from the 900s. It's built in a special style called Romanesque, which was popular a long time ago. You can find this church in a town called Sagàs in Catalonia, which is in northern Spain.
History of Sant Martí de Biure
This church was built around the year 900. It was made by the people living in a town called Biure, which used to be known as Benevivere. These people had recently moved to the area. They were part of a big effort to bring more people to lands that Christian rulers, known as the Counts of Barcelona, had recently won back from the Moors (who were Muslim rulers).
A local leader named Guadamir encouraged the building of the church. On December 13, 903, a bishop named Nantigís from Urgell officially opened the church for worship. This made Sant Martí de Biure the main church for its own local area, called a parish.
Later, in 1044, another bishop named Guillem Guifré from Urgell officially opened the church again. He confirmed that it was still an independent parish. Some people think that a group of knights, called the Knights Templar, might have used this church as a home from the late 1100s until their group ended in the 1300s.
After a while, fewer people lived in Biure. Because of this, the church lost its status as an independent parish. It became part of the parish of Sant Andreu de Sagàs. Even so, a small side chapel and a sacristy (a room where priests prepare and keep church items) were added to the church around this time.
Around 1890, the bishop of Vic, Josep Morgades, took a special statue from the church. It was a "majestat," which was probably a crucifix (a cross with a figure of Christ) showing Christ wearing a robe. The bishop moved it to the Episcopal Museum of Vic. We don't know if this special statue is still in the museum today.
The church was carefully repaired and made new again in the 1950s.
What Sant Martí de Biure Looks Like
Sant Martí de Biure has one main rectangular room, called a nave. The roof of this room is made of stone and is curved, like a tunnel. At the northeastern end of the church, there's a rounded part called an apse. This is usually where the altar is. There is also a small chapel attached to the northwestern wall of the church.
Gallery
- Sant Martí de Biure
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de Sant Martí de Biure para niños
