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75
SANT JOAN DE LES ABADESSES – SANT PAU DE SEGÚRIES
A Pyrenean valley with fertile plains and Romanesque art
the church and the Abbey Palace, which
houses the tourist information centre.
SANT JOAN DE LES
ABADESSES. The town is
fons cvvgi
characterised by the monastery and the
medieval structure of the Main Square
and the narrow streets that surround it.
Encircling the town is a solid wall, remains
of which can be still be found at its
western end.
cross over to the right bank of the river via
the Old Bridge, built between 1128 and
1138, demolished by the earthquake in 1428,
and again during the Spanish Civil War, but
now restored. First, however, we shall pass
the ruins of the peculiar Church of Sant Pol
(1142), destroyed in 1690 in an attack by
the Duke of Noailles, and conserved in this
condition to the present day.
In this section we shall travel along farm
tracks, most of which are paved with
concrete, with some very steep parts.
The hills that surround this valley
contrast with the flat bottom.
The fluvial terraces of the River
Ter, set at different heights, as
befitting of a river with a long
history, have fertile plains that
provide excellent grazing land
for horses and cows. The last 2.3 km
take us along the C-26 road with a hard
shoulder that protects us from the traffic,
which can be quite busy here .
fons cvvgi
1 THE MONASTERY. This was
founded in 887 by Guifré el Pilós for
his daughter Emma and the religious
community that gave the town its name.
This monastery is of great importance,
not only because of its architecture,
but also due to the sculptures
it contains. Some of the most
important works here are the
Descent from the Cross, seven
polychrome wooden figures,
almost life size, which date back
to the 12th century. The monastery’s
museum is a faithful representation of
the intense social and cultural life of this
religious centre. We can visit the cloister,
Monastery in Sant Joan de les Abadesses.
The old bridge in Sant Joan de les Abadesses.
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Stage 26
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2 THE CHURCH OF SANT POL
AND THE OLD BRIDGE. We will
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500
1000 m
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900
m
Iron and Coal Route
800
danger signal
Pont Vell
700
260
262
264
266
268
km