Page 198 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Northern Spain

196  NOR THERN SP AIN REGION B Y REGION

Queralbs is home to the
12th-century Romanesque
church of Sant Jaume. Lovely
meadows spread across the
hillsides around the Sanctuari
de Núria. Set at an altitude of
1,967 m (6,453 ft), the shrine is
an important place of pilgrim-
age. It was first mentioned in
historical documents in 1162.
St Gil, who sculpted the altar
of the Virgin Mary of Núria, is
said to have lived here in the
8th century; the feast of the
Virgin is celebrated each year
The magnificent portal of the monastery in Ripoll on 8 September.
The shrine was extended in
x Ripoll Today, visitors can admire the 1449, and again in 1640 and
splendid Romanesque portal, 1648. In 1883, it acquired a
Girona. Road Map F5. * 11,000. n
Plaça Abat Oliba; 972 70 23 51. ( Sat. with Christ Pantocrator occupy- Neo-Romanesque church,
_ Sant Eudald (second week in May). ing a central position above the consecrated in 1913 and
8 check website. ∑ ripoll.cat entrance, flanked by angels, completed in 1964. There
apostles and the 24 elders of are some wonderful walks
Ripoll is known as the “cradle of the Apocalypse. The rich icono- from here.
Catalonia”, because it was the graphy also depicts scenes from
first part of Catalonia recovered the Old Testament, including
from the Moors by Guifré El the Judgement of Solomon
Pelos (Wilfred the Hairy), founder and the Dream of Solomon, as
of the 500-year dynasty of the well as Old Testament figures
House of Barcelona. He made such as Moses and David.
Ripoll his capital, and in 879
estab lished here the Benedictine c Queralbs and
Monestir de Santa María, an
important centre of culture and Sanctuari de Núria
art. The monastery had a well- Girona. Road Map F5. * 198. £
stocked library, a scriptorium n Estació Vall de Núria; 972 73 20 20.
and a highly regarded monastic ∑ valldenuria.cat
school. Abbot Oliba (1008–46)
raised a new double-aisled For a favourite local day out,
basilica, but this unfortunately most people start in the little
suffered extensive damage town of Ribes de Freser, in the
during an earthquake in 1428. Ribes valley. From here the
Romanesque cloisters, from Cremallera (Zipper Train)
the 12th to the 16th centuries, leads to the pretty village of
survive. The basilica was Queralbs, at the halfway point,
reconstructed during the 19th and Núria at the top. There are A colourful stained-glass window
century in a simplified form. great views from the train. in the Sanctuari de Núria
The Catalan Language v Sant Joan de
Belonging to the Romance group of Indo-European languages, les Abadesses
Catalan emerged as a literary language in the 13th century, although Girona. Road Map F5. * 3,600.
the first Catalan texts appeared as early as the 12th century. After a n Plaça de l’Abadia 9; 972 72 05 99.
long period of Castilian (Spanish) dominance, Catalan experienced ( Sun. _ Fiesta Mayor (second
a renaissance in the mid-19th century. This revival week in Sep). 8 check website.
was cut short by the Spanish Civil War; under ∑ santjoandelesabadesses.cat
Franco’s dictator ship, the use of Catalan in
public places was forbidden. Catalan has The beginnings of this pretty
now re-emerged from this repression market town date back to the
and is in everyday use all over Catalonia, establish ment in 887 of a
Valencia and the Balearic Islands. It is
spoken by around 7 million people. monastery. It was founded
by Guifré el Pelós, first count
The emblem of Catalonia of Barcelona, as a gift to his
daughter, the first abbess.
For hotels and restaurants see p207 and pp222–3

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