If you are organising a visit to the Barony of Rialb, in the region of La Noguera, one of the excursions you cannot miss is the Collegiate Church of Sant Pere de Ponts. Moreover, we are not the only ones who consider it a work of art, since in 1931 it was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument.
If you trust our judgement, you can’t miss a visit to this church on your next trip to Lleida. You should add this stop to your route and enjoy all that a simple Romanesque church has to offer.
What you should know about Sant Pere de Ponts
The church of Sant Pere de Ponts is in the Lombard Romanesque style, so, in terms of architecture, it is a simple construction: it has a single nave, three large apses and an octagonal tower (decorated with twin windows). The arch used is also typical of the style: the barrel vault.
Now that you can identify the appearance of the church a little better, we are going to explain a little about the origins and history of the building, so that as you walk around, you can understand what it was like in its time.
The collegiate church of Sant Pere de Ponts was built in the 11th century as the seat of an Augustinian community. The first reference dates back to 1024, when a trial was held inside.
In 1839, both the church and the castle of Ponts were set on fire by the Carlist troops: both the tower and the barrel vault were completely destroyed.
Today, of the entire architectural ensemble, only the church remains, which is believed to have been built thanks to donations made by various counts between 1091 and 1094.
In 1931 it was declared a National Monument of Catalonia by the Republican Generalitat. The church has been renovated on more than one occasion in the last 20 years by the Association of Friends of Sant Pere de Ponts.
How to get to Sant Pere de Ponts?
Where to sleep near Sant Pere de Ponts?
We are convinced that you haven’t had enough just visiting the church of Sant Pere de Ponts, but that doesn’t mean that the visit didn’t take you a long time. So, we think you will need a place to sleep, so that you can spend the time you need to get to know the Baronia de Rialb: the Casa dels Peixos. This is our rural house, which is only 25 minutes by car from the Romanesque church. You can come here with all your loved ones, as the house can accommodate up to 16 people.
It is a two-storey house of 200m2: on the first floor you will find the entrance hall, two large bedrooms with private bathrooms, and a games room. The latter is equipped with games suitable for the whole family and all tastes, so that we ensure fun for everyone. On the first floor there are six more bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms; the kitchen; and the dining room, which also has direct access to the outside of the house. The garden is fenced, in order to offer as much privacy and security as possible. Outside there is a swimming pool, a private lake where fishing is allowed, a barbecue, and plenty of space for parking cars or other outdoor activities.
Other places of interest in the area
If you come to the area where the Romanesque church of Sant Pere de Ponts is located, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the ruins of the old castle of Ponts. You will also have the opportunity to visit the Medieval Necropolis of Sant Pere de Ponts, to the west of the church. This cemetery ceased to be used in the 15th century, when the parish cemetery of Santa Maria de Ponts was built.