Sant Quirze de Colera Monastery
Tucked in the folds of the Albera mountain range in a valley which is now part of the natural park, Sant Quirze is one of the oldest monasteries on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. The remains of the original 9th century church were incorporated in the Romanesque basilica built in the10th and 11th centuries, and some frescoes are visible in the nave although in poor condition.
Since the monastery had been closed to the public for most of the last decade for restoration, I had high expectations. Unfortunately they were dashed by a combination of unfinished work and a lack of explanation on what had been one of the most important monasteries for some 500 years in the Middle Ages.
Its strategic location, on one of the main routes across the mountains into Spain, meant that it was regularly overrun by hungry Frenchsoldiers who were happy to take anything they could carry, especially if it was gold or silver. By the 16th century it was no more than a ruin and was ceded to one of the local farming families that used it to shelter their livestock.
The area is beautiful, if stark, and cows still wander the valley with bells around their necks. Small fast- running streams come down from the mountains which are covered in an almost impenetrable thick gorse. This is a great place for walking and cycling and there are numerous marked paths that lead here from the coast at Colera and continue inland to Rabós and Espolla as well as the Coll de Banyuls and France.
