ESCALADEI - MONASTERY OF THE CARTHUSIAN MONKS

The monastery of Santa Maria d'Escaladei was built by monks of the Order of Carthusian monks who came from Provence in the 12th century. They set their sights on this particular place to build the first monastery of their Order on the Iberian Peninsula because of the protection offered by the Montsant mountain, where it is said that a shepherd had seen in his dreams a ladder affixed to a tree along which angels passed, hence the name of the place: Escaladei, God's ladder. During their residence, which lasted almost 700 years, the monks built many mills and cultivated the vines, before being forced to abandon everything in 1835, following the passing of the laws of desamortizacion expropriating all the religious in Spain. In two years, the monastery was looted and ransacked by the population, delighted to finally free itself from the religious yoke and the harsh taxes imposed by it. The visit that can be made today is certainly that of ruins, but the scale of the construction is impressive despite everything: we discover three cloisters, a church, a canteen as well as the reproduction of a monastic cell equipped with furniture and accessories. We strongly advise you to choose the guided tour (in French by prior reservation only), which allows you to put into perspective all the dimensions of the life of the monks of the time and the impact of their presence on the history and culture of the region. An unmissable visit.