SANT ESTEVE MONASTERY

The Sant Esteve monastery, declared a Cultural Asset of National Interest in 1973, is the starting point for the foundation of the town of Banyoles: although it was probably built much earlier, the first documents to refer to it date back to 822. Benedictine monks built the monastery on the remains of a Romanesque church, some of which can still be found in the basement. The Sant Esteve monastery is considered to be the first Benedictine monastic building in Catalonia, commissioned by Abbot Bonitus, who held the titles of abbot and feudal lord of Banyoles. The history of the site is punctuated by many ups and downs. Parts of it have been destroyed and rebuilt several times: the church, for example, was demolished in the ^mid-10th century, only to be rebuilt 50 years later; the Romanesque monastery was demolished in the following century; then, in the ^mid-17th century, earthquakes affected the structure of the building, wiping out the bell tower, the cloister and part of the temple. Today, the complex is in the neoclassical style (1702-1740), with its church, cloister and surrounding outbuildings.

The church has a central nave with three apses covered by a barrel vault, and the bell tower is crowned by a cupola. The façade, built from travertine (the local stone), is particularly impressive, with its Gothic doorway and lateral pinnacles. The latter, moreover, gives scholars a hard time: on either side of the door are two embossed "C "s facing each other, probably dating from 1530, when the Cenobites of Banyoles restored the temple. Several hypotheses have been put forward as to the significance of these two "Cs": they may refer to King Carolus Calvus, they may be the initials of Joan de Cartellà (monk and vicar-general), or they may be a whimsical decoration... Even today, the mystery remains. Several chapels, surmounted by semicircular arches and covered by groin vaults, complete the ensemble.

The cloister. Within the Benedictine order, the cloister was a primordial element: as well as serving as a distributor of rooms, it was a place for conversation, walks and various celebrations. Neoclassical in style, it takes the form of an irregular two-storey square, and is composed of 48 semicircular arches resting on columns grooved at the top. The capitals are carved with acanthus leaves, flowers and angels' heads. The interior courtyard features a well and, parallel to the east wing, one of Banyoles' typical canals. On the south side, remains of the medieval abbey and the abbot's gardens are preserved.