Guided tour on Sant Martí Sarroca Monumental Complex

With the guided tour of the Sant Martí Sarroca Monumental Complex, we invite you to visit one of the most important architectural jewels of the Alt Penedès, a reference center of the municipality, and to discover one of the best preserved Romanesque style ensembles in Catalonia.

The visit will allow us to discover the Castle of Santmartí, the church of Santa Maria and the old municipal cistern.

Santmartí Castle was founded in the 10th century by Galí, deputy of the Penedès and his son Guillem. It went through many owners throughout history, such as Mir Geribert, the self-proclaimed Prince of Olèrdola. It has been part of outstanding historical episodes, such as being one of the last centers of resistance to the troops of Felip V during the War of Succession, or being the refuge of Sibil·la of Fortià when her husband Pere III the Ceremonious was deadly ill.

The structure of the castle of Sant Martí has been rebuilt; the part formed by the noblest rooms, which form a trapezoidal inner courtyard. On the ground floor, we find the stable, a room that maintains its original structure of the eleventh century, the old kitchens of the castle occupy three rooms on the ground floor of the building and the wine cellar, in Romanesque style. On the first floor we will discover the Gothic Room, which evokes the old castle dining room, originally in Romanesque style. The West Hall is restored in the Renaissance style. In the south wing, the first floor housed the old rooms or bedrooms (the windows preserve the festive seats).

The church of Santa Maria is a place of pilgrimage for anyone who wants to enjoy in depth the Catalan religious Romanesque, since it has one of the most precious constructions of this style; especially its wonderful apse of the 12th century, the richest in Catalonia and one of the best of the European Romanesque, in the words of the architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch, who made the restoration at the beginning of the 20th century.

It has double semicircular arches, both on the outside and inside, supported by columns with capitals adorned with lions, acanthus leaves and other plant motifs. The church also stands out for the peculiar way in which the dome was built, the dome of which rests on shells, instead of tubes, a unique case in Catalonia.

The old municipal cistern has been recently renovated and included in the visit.