Sant Quirze de Colera’s Monastery

The small Benedictine abbey St. Quirze de Colera is fantastically situated in a beautiful area in the midst of the protected area of the Albera Mountains. Lonely, amidst untouched nature, surrounded by meadows with peacefully feasting cows, it looks like a painting from another era. St. Quirze belongs to the municipality of Rabos d’Empordà From Rabos there is a path that leads for 6 km to St. Quirze . . . an easy distance by foot or by car. The varied natural landscape presents itself to the astonished wanderer, but the area is also rich with megalithic dolmens and the particularly beautiful menhir del Mas Roquer.

From Vilamaniscle there is also a short and simple way to the monastery. If you desire a longer walk you can trek in from Colera. The restaurant Corall de St. Quirze invites the traveler to rest.

The restaurant inserts itself like an old stone farmhouse into the ambience of the monastery and is open daily, except on Wednesday.

santquirzecolera3 The small monastery from the Karolin time is dedicated to the holies St. Quirze, St. Andreu and St. Benet and was founded toward the end of the 8th Century. In 935 the Basilica was inaugurated, its early construction is still visible today. Characteristic of this early building phase was the layering of the stones in the form of fish bones.

The three Apses, which are attached to the transverse ship in a line, originate from the 11th Century, as do the vault and the round bows on their inside. From the former monastery beside the church remains of the north gallery with two original openings is present in the simple rustic style. In the northeast part of the monastic yard exists some remnants from the 9th and the beginning of the 10th Century. The neighbouring house to the west consists of many different styles from the 10th to 19th century. In 1123 the inauguration of the altar of the small church Sta. Maria took place, which is located in front of the monastery. Over time the monastery gained more and more power and the borders of the monastery district were extended

santquirzecolera2 In 1285 the army of the French king camped at the monastery and in 1288 it was plundered by troops of the king Jaime de Mallorca. After, the monastery was fortified to keep it safe, but it lost more and more influence. In the middle of the 15th Century the long and important era of the Benedictine monastery ended.