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Santa Maria de Gerri is a monastery in Gerri de la Sal, in the comarca of Pallars Sobirà, Catalonia, Spain, situated on the shores of the 
Page at Catalan Monasteries website
{{Coord, 42, 19, 12.32, N, 1, 4, 8.09, E, type:landmark, display=title Christian monasteries established in the 9th century 12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Spain Maria de Gerri Romanesque architecture in Catalonia Religious organizations established in the 9th century Religious organizations disestablished in 1835 1835 disestablishments in Spain
Santa Maria de Gerri is a monastery in Gerri de la Sal, in the comarca of Pallars Sobirà, Catalonia, Spain, situated on the shores of the Noguera Pallaresa
The Noguera Pallaresa (; oc, Noguèra Palharesa, ) is a river in Catalonia, Spain.
It is named after the Pallars region.
Course
Its source is at ''Era Font d'era Noguereta'' in the municipality of Naut Aran ( Aran Valley) at an elevation of ...
river.
History
The monastery was founded in 807, and its community adhered to the Benedictine rule in 839. Located in the diocese of Urgell, the monastery contributed to the evangelization of the territory, which had been recently conquered by the Christians from the Moors. In 996 the monastery was put under the director protection the Popes, and depended from the Abbey of St. Victor of Marseille. In 1190 all the monastery's possession went under the protection of KingAlfonso II of Aragon
Alfonso II (1–25 March 1157Benito Vicente de Cuéllar (1995)«Los "condes-reyes" de Barcelona y la "adquisición" del reino de Aragón por la dinastía bellónida» p. 630-631; in ''Hidalguía''. XLIII (252) pp. 619–632."Alfonso II el Casto, hi ...
, and, thanks to numerous donations in the 12th-14th centuries, including the cave monastery of Sant Pere de les Maleses
Sant Pere de les Maleses is a Benedictine cave monastery in the municipality of La Pobla de Segur, Pallars Jussà, in the Province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. the monastery was first mentioned in 868 when it was dedicated to St. Andrew and w ...
, it became the richest foundation in the county of Urgell. Later it decayed, until, in 1835, it was secularized.
Architecture
Of the 9th century structure, today only ruins remain. The Romanesque church, built in the 12th century, has a nave and two aisles, without transept, and with three semi-circular apses. The latter are preceded by a presbytery located at level far lower than the rest of the church. The nave is covered bybarrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault, wagon vault or wagonhead vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve (or pair of curves, in the case of a pointed barrel vault) along a given distance. The curves are ...
s. The central apse is decorated by seven blind arcades, supported by pilasters with sculpted capitals, similar to those in the Sant Pere de Galligants monastery. The same decorations, including vegetable motifs, fantastic animals, angels and biblical characters, characterizes the capitals of the church's interior.
The main façade is surmounted by a sail-shaped bell tower with three floors.
References
*External links
Page at Catalan Monasteries website
{{Coord, 42, 19, 12.32, N, 1, 4, 8.09, E, type:landmark, display=title Christian monasteries established in the 9th century 12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Spain Maria de Gerri Romanesque architecture in Catalonia Religious organizations established in the 9th century Religious organizations disestablished in 1835 1835 disestablishments in Spain