Sant Joan de les Abadesses

Ancient times:

Human settlement in the valley around Sant Joan de les Abadesses dates to prehistoric times, and archeological research has found evidence of settlements in the region from the Lower Paleolithic era.

It seems that the area was not very much Romanized, despite the fact that a branch of the Via Augusta went up the valley towards the Col d'Ares pass through the Pyrenee Mountains.

Middle Ages:

The origins of the present town lie in the founding of the Monastery of Sant Joan de les Abadesses by Wilfred the Hairy in 887. This was one of the first nunneries founded in Catalonia, and its first abbess was Emma of Barcelona, daughter of Wilfred. The Benedictine community grew in wealth and importance throughout the 10th century. However, in 1017, the nuns, accused of violating the rules by which they were supposed to be living, were expelled in a bull by Pope Benedict VIII.

This expulsion initiated a period of instability that lasted until the re-establishment of canons of the order of Saint Augustine in the 12th century and with the patronage of Ramon Berenguer III. The new Augustinian monks largely rebuilt the monastery, including new churches for the monastery itself and the parish of Saint Pol. New cultural importance and splendor was brought to the monastery in this period, as evidenced by its extensive archive of troubadour songs from this era.

Around the monastery, the town of Sant Joan was founded. Initially, the laypeople lived around the Church of Sant Pol, in the neighborhood today known as El Raval. But the town's growing population necessitated the construction of a walled town (the Vila Vella) on land that had been known as El Vinyal. This part of the town was home to numerous medieval guilds.

As time passed, power in the town shifted from religious to secular. The town became a Carlist capital, and suffered the consequences of wars with nearby France, as well as industrialization and social change.

Contemporary era:

In the mid-19th century, coal mining began in Ogassa, precipitating the construction of a railroad from Sant Joan to Barcelona. The railroad was finished on 17 October 1880.[1] This accelerated the town's growth and industrialization. Like other towns along the Ter River, numerous factories and industrial colonies were built to take advantage of hydrological power from the river. A native citizen of the town introduced concrete to the Iberian Peninsula, and the town itself pioneered concrete manufacturing.

During the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s, the town renamed itself Puig-Alt de Ter (High-Hill of the Ter). As the forces of Republican Spain retreated towards the French border, many passed through the town. However, Republican soldiers destroyed bridges and the train station as they passed, to cover their retreat. After the war, the town recovered and diversified its industries.

Mercadillo semanal: Domingo, de 09:00 a 15:00 · Passeig del Comte Guifré, 5

•Camí Oliba (GR 151, 239.54 km)

•Ruta del Ter (GR 210, 220 km)

•Sender de les quatre ermites (PR-C 60, 20.568 km)

•Sender Històric: Catalunya (GR 1, 400 km)

•Variant PR-C 59: Molí de la Tolosa - Coll de Canes (PR-C 59.1, 8.7 km)

•Variant PR-C 59: Santa Magdalena de Cambrils - Coll de les Fonts de l'Orri (PR-C 59.2, 7.5 km)

•Vallgofona de Ripollès - Vallfogona de Ripollès (PR-C 59, 28.9 km)

•El Meridià Verd (180 km)

•Camí Ral de Vallfogona a Ripoll (10.6 km)

•Trescant per la Serra de Puig d'Estela (13.8 km)

•Ogassa-Sant Martí Surroca (8 km)

•Variant GR 151 Camí Oliba: Rajols - Sant Joan de les Abadesses (GR 151.1, 52.2 km)

•Jaime Nunó, compositor español

•Melchior Joncar Ferrer, compositor y maestro de capilla español (1757-1824)

•Ferran Llagostera i Coll, director de cine español

•Alguer Miquel i Bo, cantante español

•Valentí Huch, Deportista senior catalán

•Francesc Fajula, escultor español

Alcaldía: Ramon Roqué Riu

Web oficial: http://www.santjoandelesabadesses.cat