SANT MIQUEL DEL FAI
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Monastery in a setting of exceptional natural wealth, home to the oldest troglodyte church in Spain
On the narrow hill of El Fai, perched on a natural ledge overlooking a deep gorge at an altitude of 400 metres, the monastery of Sant Miquel del Fai houses the oldest troglodyte church in Spain. In addition to its historical interest, it is set in an exceptionally rich natural environment, the "Cingles de Bertí". This is a wonderful, rugged landscape full of springs, waterfalls and caves carved by erosion, such as the Sant Miquel caves and the spectacular Rossinyol waterfall. The rustle of the water, omnipresent, lulls the visit.
A little history. In 997, the knight Gombaud de Besora received from the Counts of Barcelona the lands of the church of Sant Miquel and its surroundings. He decided to found a monastery there in honour of the archangel Saint Michael and to attach it to the Provençal monastery of Saint Victor in Marseille. In the 14th century, the monastery was reduced to the rank of a simple priory, before coming under the supervision of the minor archdeacon of the bishopric of Girona until its abolition in 1835. In the abbey square, the first thing to notice is the Priory House, a typical Catalan Gothic building. Then take the stony corridor leading to the church of Sant Miquel, set deep in the cliffs: it is the only example of a troglodyte church from the Romanesque period in Catalonia. Finally, follow the beautiful path to the Romanesque hermitage of St. Martin, a building devoid of any ornamentation and associated with the late Romanesque period.
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