Sant Pere de Galligants

Sant Pere de Galligants tickets: which one to buy

Sant Pere de Galligants stands in the old town of Girona, just outside the medieval walls on the north side, beside the stream of the same name, and it houses the Archaeological Museum of Catalonia in Girona, so entry is by the museum ticket. It is a quiet place in a city that has become very popular, and it is often combined with the Arab baths across the street, the cathedral and the walk along the city walls.

Walking tours of Girona's old town, the Barri Vell, and its Jewish quarter pass nearby. Girona is about forty minutes from Barcelona by high-speed train, making it an easy day trip, and it is known to many visitors as a filming location for Game of Thrones. The museum displays are labelled in Catalan, Spanish and English. The Romanesque cloister is one of the main highlights of the visit. Combined tickets for several Girona museums are sold at the museum desk and at the tourist office.

Visiting Sant Pere de Galligants: what to see

The Benedictine monastery was founded before the tenth century, and the present church and cloister were built in the twelfth century in the Romanesque style. The church has an unusual octagonal bell tower and a fine rose window on its facade, and its interior is tall and austere, with three naves. The cloister is decorated with carved capitals showing biblical scenes, animals, plants and fantastic creatures, among the best Romanesque sculpture in Catalonia.

Since the nineteenth century the building has housed an archaeological collection, and the museum displays finds from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages, including objects from the Greek and Roman city of Empuries on the Costa Brava, Roman sarcophagi, mosaics and medieval tombstones, including Hebrew inscriptions from Girona's Jewish community. The cloister itself is used to display carved stones and funerary monuments. The apse of the church has three small chapels arranged around the altar, and the stonework shows traces of medieval painted decoration. Fragments of Romanesque sculpture from other buildings in Girona are displayed in the side aisles.

Sant Pere de Galligants opening hours and the best time to go

The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Mondays, with shorter hours on Sundays and in winter. Girona is busy in summer and at weekends, and the Temps de Flors flower festival in May, when courtyards and monuments are decorated with flowers, is especially crowded but beautiful; Sant Pere is usually one of the venues.

The Fires de Sant Narcis fair in late October brings events to the city. The city walls walk, which starts nearby, offers views over the old town and the cathedral. Allow about an hour for the museum and the cloister, and cross the street to see the Arab baths. The Arab baths across the street, a twelfth-century Romanesque bath house inspired by Islamic models, keep similar opening hours.