It's not difficult to capture the dynamic spirit of the people of El Camp—in the broadest sense of the term—from the ground up or by reviewing its history. The list of elements, events, and people who have done both famous and crazy things from our country is more than long. From the tops of our mountains to the darkest sides of our valleys and coast.
This dynamic and intrepid spirit is also found in the embodiment of faith. A case in point: our Charterhouse, Escaladei, was the first in the Iberian Peninsula and was involved in the founding of many of those that were subsequently created. Not everyone can say that from the metropolis of Hispania Citerior.
The Charterhouse was founded in 1194 thanks to the will of King Alfonso the Chaste, with the aim of establishing a settlement in newly conquered lands. The donations and purchases that followed transformed the Carthusian monastery into a great feudal lord, coming to possess a vast territory that coincides with the historic priory, its region, and its land.
Despite this medieval foundation, Escaladei was one of the great modern monasteries. Its large rooms, sanctuary, cloister, church, and Carthusian cells were conceived as Renaissance and Baroque spaces. Even within its walls, some of the most notable artistic movements in the country originated. This was mainly thanks to the constant and perfectionist work of some friars such as the Juncosas and Miquel Serra.
The disaster that the confiscation represented for Escaladei—and for the other great monasteries in our country—has been attempted to be resolved with the work carried out by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government) since 1990, when the owners ceded it to the administration.
This dedication has materialized in major works and renovations throughout the complex, but also with the application of new incentives to the Carthusian monastery. One of these, perhaps the most recent, is the arrival of the Eyes of History. A new museography with immersive elements that brings us closer to the Carthusian reality and some of its friars. Perhaps you remember the Juncosa family? Now you can return to Escaladei to discover their work.
Ah! We weren't the first with the Eyes of History. This time we were second behind the Rock Art Interpretation Center of the Roca de los Moros del Cogul.
