The cradle of Catalonia: Ripoll and its tourist attractions
Ripoll (Catalan version – Ripoll) is a municipality in Spain, which is part of the province of Girona in the autonomous community of Catalonia. The municipality is part of the Ripollès district.
The city is located in a picturesque green mountain gorge where you can find the confluence of two rivers: Ter and Freser.
The first mentions of the presence of people in Ripoll belong to the Bronze Age (1500-600 BC). This information refers to small, disparate settlements near the Ter and Freser rivers, surrounded by mountains. The findings of bronze objects and tools confirm these assumptions.
In the IX century, residents of the surrounding areas began to concentrate around the place that today is called the city of Ripoll. The initiator of the settlement in this area was Count Guifré el Pelós (840-897).
Ripoll, because of its strategic location at the crossroads and because of its early industrial and business activities — the cradle of Catalonia’s industrialization — has always been the focus of French and Spanish military conflicts throughout history.
Throughout its history, Ripoll served as a major industrial center, primarily associated with metallurgy and iron processing. For example, in the 16th and 18th centuries, the city was known throughout Europe for its connection with the production of firearms, mainly cannons and muskets.
However, the equally important role of the city is the cultural heritage of Catalonia. Not without reason, at the end of the 19th century the phrase “Ripoll – the cradle of Catalonia” appeared. And one of the best Catalan writers of all time, Jacint Verdaguer, in his Canigó poem describes the city in the 11th song:
“In Ripoll, we discover the quintessence of modernism in architecture, created during technological progress and industrialization in the vicinity of the Ter and Freser rivers”.
Major tourist attractions and what to see:
The main architectural landmark of the city is the monastery of Santa Maria de Ripoll. This is one of the most famous and memorable historic buildings in Catalonia. Gothic basilica, vaults and arches make it a must-visit for art lovers. Many famous names in Catalan history are associated with the monastery: Count Gifre the Hairy (Guifré el Pelós), considered as one of the fathers of the Catalan nation, Abbot Oliba, Count Ramon Berenguer III and IV, Bishop Josep.
Opening hours:
Summer schedule (from April 1 to September 30)
Morning: from 10:00 to 14:00.
Afternoon: from 16:00 to 19:00.
Sunday and public holidays: from 10:00 to 14:00
From June 26 to September 11
On Sundays from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00.
Winter hours (from October 1 to March 30)
Morning: from 10:00 to 13:30.
Afternoon: from 15:30 to 18:00.
Sunday and public holidays: from 10:00 to 14:00.
December 25 and 26 and January 1 and 6: CLOSED
December 24 and 31 and January 5: from 10:00 to 14:00.
The Ethnographic Museum of Ripoll is also a must-visit as it is considered to be the main ethnographic museum in Catalonia.
The museum, in particular, features the L’Scriptorium Archive, an important tourist attraction in Ripoll. The archive contains the original manuscripts written by the Benedictine monks of the monastery of Santa Maria. Many of the documents date back to the 10th, 11th, and 12th centuries. The archive in Ripoll is named as one of the most important artefacts of Europe from a paleographic, textual and artistic point of view. In particular, in the archive you can see the originals of two great handwritten Bibles from the 11th century.
The L’Scriptorium Archive is a permanent exhibition that, interactively and didactically, makes it possible to discover the cultural past of the Monastery of Santa Maria.
Opening hours:
September to June
From Tuesday to Saturday: from 10:00 to 13:30 and from 16:00 to 18:00
Sunday and public holidays: from 10:00 to 14:00
July August
From Tuesday to Saturday: from 10:00 to 13:30 and from 16:00 to 19:00
Sunday and public holidays: from 10:00 to 14:00
* Mondays of August: from 10 to 14 hours
Prices: 4 euros. The last Sunday of every month is free.
Address: Plaça de l’Abat Oliba s / n 17500 Ripoll, telephone: 972 703 144
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