Ripoll brings together themes ranging from medieval writing and Romanesque art to industrial history. There are also signposted routes to viewpoints and a path along a former railway line. You can explore the town according to your interests, focusing either on culture or on trails in the surrounding area.
Monastery, Portalada and Manuscripts
The Monestir de Santa Maria de Ripoll was founded in 879 by Count Guifré el Pelós. Its Portalada dates from the 12th century and is considered one of the most important sculptural works of the European Romanesque period. The founding of the monastery and the Portalada therefore represent different historical periods and provide concrete points of reference for Ripoll’s architectural and cultural history.
The Scriptorium de Ripoll is an interactive permanent exhibition about the production and copying of manuscripts at the Monestir de Santa Maria de Ripoll from the 10th to the 12th century. There, you can learn to make parchment, prepare a goose quill for writing and bind a medieval codex; you can then try your hand at being a copyist. The Scriptorium also offers courses in calligraphy and palaeography, as well as cultural programmes about the medieval world. Practical work with writing materials thus sits alongside other activities relating to writing and medieval culture.
Religious and Ethnographic Themes
The Església de Sant Pere was consecrated as a parish church in 890. The Arxiu Museu Folklòric de Ripoll was established in the former church’s loft in 1929; it was Catalonia’s first ethnographic museum. The permanent exhibition at the Museu Etnogrà fic de Ripoll includes collections related to sheep farming and agriculture. The subject matter therefore ranges from the history of an early museum institution to rural collections.
Ironworks and Industrial History
La Farga Palau de Ripoll was established as an ironworks in the 17th century, operated for five centuries and closed in 1978. Its ground floor preserves water-powered trompes, hammers, a coal store, a furnace and a forge. The long period of operation and the surviving features offer two concrete perspectives on the history of the ironworks. The manufacture of portable firearms was also one of the town’s most prestigious and important industries in the 17th and 18th centuries, thanks to the scale and quality of its products. The history of the ironworks and the importance of arms manufacturing thus stand alongside one another as distinct themes in local industrial history.
Routes and Views
In Ripoll, four signposted routes lead to four viewpoints. They explore the natural surroundings and offer views of the town centre from the surrounding hills. The Vies Verdes network also includes a route suitable for walking and cycling that follows the track of the former Ripoll–Sant Joan de les Abadesses (Toralles) railway line. The viewpoints and this route therefore have different stated focuses: the former offers viewpoints overlooking the town centre, while the latter is for walking and cycling along a former railway line.
Another route-related feature is the CamĂ de Ronda, which was designed after a model held at the Museu EtnogrĂ fic de Ripoll and based on sources from the 17th century.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Vilanova de la Muga, Caldes De Malavella, Avinyonet De PuigventĂłs, Santa Llogaia del Terri, Santa Pau, Sant Joan Les Fonts, Mont-Ras, Campllong
For the main travel overview: Girona.
