Sant Pere de Galligants facts for kids
Sant Pere de Galligants is an old Benedictine monastery located in Girona, a city in Catalonia, Spain. Since 1857, this historic building has been home to the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia in Girona. The name "Sant Pere de Galligants" means "Saint Peter of Galligants" in English. The word "Galligants" comes from the River Galligants, which flows right next to the monastery.
A Look at Its Past
The monastery began to be built around the year 992. It was located outside the city walls of Girona at that time. Ramon Borrell, count of Barcelona, a powerful ruler, gave the monks special rights over the area around Sant Pere. The monks managed this area until 1339, when King Peter IV of Aragon took it back for his kingdom.
In 1117, Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona connected the monastery with the Abbey of Sainte-Marie de Lagrasse, which is now in France. However, Sant Pere still had its own leader (an abbot) and a lot of freedom. Sant Pere was never a very large community. Its church was not the main church for local people, and only baptisms were held there.
In 1362, the monastery became part of the city when new walls were built around Girona. Because of this, its design was changed to be more like a fort, making it stronger for defense. The monastery started to decline from the 1400s. By 1835, it only had an abbot and four monks. In 1931, it was officially recognized as an important national monument.
What It Looks Like
The church at Sant Pere de Galligants was built in 1130. It is a great example of Romanesque architecture, a style known for its strong, simple shapes. The church has a main area called a nave, and two side areas called aisles. It also has a transept, which is like the arms of a cross, and four rounded sections called apses.
The main entrance, or portal, looks quite old and might have come from an earlier building. Above this entrance, there is a beautiful round window called a rose window. It is about 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) wide.
Inside the church, you will see many columns along the sides. The tops of these columns, called capitals, are decorated with plant designs. These columns help support the main ceiling. The capitals on the columns in the apse areas are more detailed and were likely carved by different artists. Some of these carvings are thought to be by a famous artist known as the Master of Cabestany.
The bell tower of the monastery is shaped like an octagon and has two main parts. The upper part has two floors, each with double arches separated by columns. It is decorated with a style called Lombard bands, which are decorative strips of small arches.
The Cloister
The monastery also has a small cloister, which is an open courtyard surrounded by covered walkways. This cloister is another beautiful example of Catalan Romanesque architecture. The northern walkway was built in 1154, while the other walkways were added around 1190.
The capitals on the columns in the cloister are very similar to those found in other famous cloisters, like the one at Sant Cugat del Vallès or the Cathedral of Girona. Some of these carvings show scenes from the life of Jesus. Others feature common Romanesque designs, such as lions or mythical creatures like sirens.
See also
In Spanish: Monasterio de San Pedro de Galligants para niños
Images for kids
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Detail of a capital in the cloister showing double-tailed sirens.
