Logbook · 21 places

Monastery of Sant Esteve de Banyoles

Banyoles, Pla de l'Estany, Girona

1 Villages · 9 Monuments · 2 Nature · 3 Activities · 1 Curiosities · 4 Historical milestones · 1 Food and drink

Spain › Catalonia › Girona › Pla de l'Estany › Banyoles › Monastery of Sant Esteve de Banyoles

Monastery of Sant Esteve de Banyoles

Monument · Banyoles, Pla de l'Estany, Girona

The monastery of Sant Esteve de Banyoles, declared Bien Cultural de Interés Nacional (Catalonia's highest level of heritage protection), is one of the earliest Benedictine monastic foundations in Catalonia and is regarded as the very cradle of the city of Banyoles, which grew up around it. The present church, with a single nave, side chapels and a triple apse, was begun in 1702 under the direction of Agustí Soriano and completed around 1740 in Neoclassical style, retaining from the earlier building the late Gothic doorway of 1530 and the bell tower, raised in 1692 and topped with a dome in 1743. Inside, the high altar is presided over by the Gothic altarpiece of the Mare de Déu de l'Escala, the work of Joan Antigó between 1437 and 1439, while the chapel of Sant Martirià holds the Gothic reliquary casket containing the saint's relics, dating from 1453.

Photo: Josep Maria Viñolas Esteva (CC BY 2.0)

What to see and do in Banyoles