Discovering the history of the Ripoll monastery, capital of a bygone Catalonia

Ripoll"Wow, how beautiful." The comment is from one of the members ofPremium ClubThe ARA newspaper reporter, upon seeing the majestic portal of the Santa Maria de Ripoll monastery, was captivated by one of the jewels of Romanesque art. The large group of subscribers (all places were sold out) were awestruck by this masterpiece. Their fascination with the image conveyed by this great sculpted stone—an open bible divided into heaven, earth, and hell—contrasted sharply with the reaction of the ARA journalist accompanying them. A Ripoll native, he was accustomed to this portal, which time has transformed into a routine entrance for baptisms and masses for the locals. Surely, all Ripoll residents should take this guided tour at least once a year.

Ripoll was one of the epicenters of Catalonia during the Middle Ages. The reason? "It was the place where the counts were buried," explains the guide, who, before beginning, wants to make it clear that immersing oneself in history means looking at it "with the eyes of that time." In other words, "you can't interpret Wilfred the Hairy from a modern point of view." Back then, there was neither a state nor even citizens, only nobles and vassals, counts and monks. Wilfred was the founder of the monastery—and for some, of Catalonia—and he wanted to repopulate the area after the Saracen invasion. The portal precisely represents the social strata of the time, with a God presiding over it and saints, nobles, and finally peasants descending the stone. Two saints who have lost their heads to the passage of time welcome visitors to the central nave.

The visitors sit on the pews while other tourists admire the church's apses. It's hard to imagine now, but after wars and earthquakes, the monastery was abandoned in the 19th century, and the Renaixença gave it new life with a restoration that the guide warns was controversial. And indeed, there are more controversies. Or at least inaccuracies that sometimes prevent us from distinguishing between legend and history. "Who first used the symbol of the four bars?" the guide asks when they reach the tomb of Wilfred the Hairy, in one of the transept arms. Legend says that Wilfred, between life and death, drew the four bars on his golden shield.

The monastery holds more surprises for visitors, such as a cemetery directly beneath the altar that astonished even the archaeologists who excavated it: they found Late Roman tombs buried by time. Just above it rested the remains of Guifré. The visit, lasting over an hour and a half, concludes in the two-story cloister, one of the best-preserved examples of Romanesque architecture. Participants finish the tour with the same sense of camaraderie with which they began: many know each other from other activities organized by the monastery. ARA Premium Club.

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