PRIEURE SANTA MARIA DEL VILAR

The priory was founded in 1083 by a community of Augustinian canons at the foot of the Albères. The monks transformed a building dating from the Carolingian era into a hospital for pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela and added a church and a cloister. They adorn the main apse with sublime frescoes (11th – 12th): the liveliness of the colors, like the scenes and motifs represented, are quite surprising.
The canons occupied the priory until the 14th century, when they were secularized. In 1802, the buildings were sold to a farmer for agricultural use. The church becomes a stable, the hospital room, a pigsty. The place was abandoned in 1942 and was quickly buried under lush vegetation.
The whole was purchased in 1993 by Ms. Triadou who, with the help of around a hundred volunteers, undertook restoration work. Today, a lyrical festival is held there every year: secular and religious songs.