How to visit and what to see in Vilabertrán Monastery (Girona); schedules

In the most recent trips to Catalonia there has never been a lack of opportunity to visit some monastery.

Such is the case, as an example, of monastery of San Pere de Roda in the Alto Empordà de Girona, or monasteries of the Cistercian route like village or Santes Creusboth in Tarragona.

This custom has not been broken in my most recent trip to the regions of the La Garrotxa and Alto Empordà.

The truth is that before it I was not aware of the existence of the Vilabertran monastery, of which after the visit I will tell you that there are two characteristics that have really caught my attention.

Curiosities history monastery of Vilabertran

First of all, it is a monastery which in its time was run by canons, and not the usual monastery of monks, which is why it is also known as the Canonical.

The canons They are clerics who lived in community following the rule of Saint Augustine.

This is what happened around the year 1060 when in this small village the priest who looked after his small church encouraged a few clerics to gather there to live in community.

This monastery was consecrated in the year 1100, at the end of the XNUMXth century the building was fortified and had its greatest boom at the end of the XNUMXth century.

After Confiscation of 1835, the monastic complex of Vilabertran Only its church remained operational, fulfilling the function of a parish, and after the Civil War It became a military barracks.

Currently it is a building run by the Department of Culture for the Generalitat of Catalonia, which is still in the process of restoration.

What to see when visiting the Vilabertran monastery

The other feature that will surely also catch your attention is the special charm that this monastery exudes, a reason that clearly justifies a getaway to visit it.

Compared to other larger monasteries, in that of Vilabertran highlights the great sobriety and uniformity of the Catalan Romanesque style of its architecture.

Initially, your iglesia, where you will start the visit, is a great example of architectural austerity.

With a basilica plan with three naves and a barrel vault in the central one, three semicircular apses open in the transept with maximum sobriety.

Gilded silver cross in Vilabertran monastery

On the north façade there is what is known as Rocaberti Chapel, built in the 14th century already with Gothic style.

There, in a glass enclosure, the most outstanding artistic piece of the monasterya gilt silver cross from the 14th century, a transition from Romanesque to Gothic, and which had the function of being a reliquary.

It is truly surprising that it has been preserved despite the many vicissitudes experienced throughout its history.

From the church building rises a single Catalan Lombard style tower, with three floors and a square floor plan, which was built in the 12th century.

Cloister of the Viabertrán monastery

Next to the church is the cloister of the Vilabertrán monastery, with a trapezoidal shape.

Compared to other cloisters that you can see in some monasteries, this one has smaller dimensions, but maintains the total uniformity of its romantic style, with a very simple ornamentation on its capitals.

En Vilabertran don't expect to find stretches of cloister of other architectural styles.

On the contrary, its great sobriety and seclusion will make it easy for you to feel the atmosphere that existed in the 11th and 12th centuries, when the monastery was built.

Throughout the cloister you can visit the usual rooms, such as the old sacristy or the chapter house, both with a barrel vault.

Or also on the second floor the room that was used as bedroom of the canons, in this case with a wooden ceiling Gothic style.

El refectory, for its part, shows a pointed vault.

Adjacent to the cloister is a large patio that was actually formed when the fortifications were built in the monastic complex.

In this way, the building of the abbey palace, from the 15th century, as well as another building that is thought to have been used as pilgrims hospital.

This area of ​​the fortified courtyard is not open to visitors as it is undergoing a gradual restoration process.

In short, the Vilabertrán monastery It is a little gem worth discovering for a while. trip along the Costa Brava and inside the Girona province.

Vilabertrán monastery visit schedules

The Visiting hours of the Vilabertrán monastery They are, in the summer season, from July to August, from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 13:30 p.m. and from 15 p.m. to 18,30:XNUMX p.m.

The rest of the year, from Thursday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 13,30:15 p.m. and from 17,30:10 p.m. to 15:XNUMX p.m.; and on Sundays and holidays, from XNUMX a.m. to XNUMX p.m.

El price of admission It is 4 euros, with a reduced rate of 2 euros for retirees, seniors+65, students and Youth Card.

Map: how to get to the Vilabertrán monastery

El Vilabertrán monastery you find it in the Girona province, north of Figueras, near towns such as Perelada and Castelló d'Empúries, in the Costa Brava.