Girona - Sant Pere de Galligants

The Benedictian monastery Sant Pere de Galligants was built, outside the city walls, from 962. The monastery in 1117 was united to the Abbey of Sainte-Marie de Lagrasse (now France, 170kms north), but kept an own abbot and so at least some autonomy.

In 1362, when the monastery was enclosed within Girona´s city walls, it was redesigned to a more defensive shape. It started to decay from the 15th century, and in 1592 it was united to the also crumbling monasteries of Sant Miquel de Cruïlles and San Miguel de Fluviá. In 1835 the monastery was given up, the abbot and the last four monks left. In 1857 the Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya moved in.

Using the remains of on older church, the construction of the three nave basilica started in 1130. On the left side of the main portal of the basilica (just seen), now the entrance to the museum, is this long nosed person, pulling his stylish beard, a gesture that is often connoted to masturbation.