Discover Llampaies: Romanesque architecture, farmhouses and routes

Llampaies does not consist of a compact village centre, but of scattered hamlets with farmhouses. The landscape of Llampaies is characterised by gently rolling terrain, agricultural fields and small pine forests.

This settlement pattern is part of the characteristic appearance of the area: the individual hamlets and their farmhouses do not form a single continuous settlement. Fields and small pine forests appear between the built-up areas as defining elements of the landscape. In Llampaies, historic buildings thus blend with a rural, structured setting.

You can find more places to discover for yourself at Garrigoles, Montagut, Corçà, La Bisbal D'empordà, Sant Julià del Llor, Cruïlles, Monells i Sant Sadurní de l'Heura, Banyoles and Crespià.

Village profile

The Església quarter is the oldest quarter of Llampaies. The Puig quarter is a collection of farmhouses, some of which date from the 17th and 18th centuries. The Masos quarter lies 200 m west of Puig. Its houses date from before the end of the 18th century, with most dating from the 19th century.

The village profile therefore brings together several historical periods. Església refers to the oldest part of Llampaies, while Puig is characterised by its collection of farmhouses. The distance of 200 m between Masos and Puig describes the location of the two hamlets in relation to each other. The houses in Masos also show that most of the buildings there date from the 19th century, while some structures were already built before the end of the 18th century.

Church and history

The church of Sant Martí de Llampaies is a single-nave Romanesque III building with a semicircular apse. The bell tower of Sant Martí de Llampaies is a rectangular tower. It has a level of round-arched arcades and a pyramid-shaped capital.

The combination of a single-nave church interior, a semicircular apse and a rectangular bell tower gives Sant Martí de Llampaies a clearly defined architectural form. The level with round-arched arcades stands out on the tower, topped by a pyramid-shaped capital. The designation Romanesque III is part of the classification of the church building.

The Romanesque wall of the church of Sant Martí de Llampaies was raised when the fortification was built. The other church walls were raised as well.

On the north side of the church in Llampaies there is an anthropomorphic tomb carved into the rock. Its shape suggests the presence of a nearby early medieval necropolis. The anthropomorphic tomb near Llampaies belongs to the Olèrdola type. Catalan anthropomorphic tombs of this type are dated to the 9th and 10th centuries.

The tomb adds an archaeological detail on the north side of the church to its architectural history. Its human-shaped form, carved into the rock, explains the designation anthropomorphic tomb. The classification as an Olèrdola-type tomb and the dating of corresponding Catalan tombs to the 9th and 10th centuries point to the early medieval context suggested by the tomb’s form for a nearby necropolis.

Routes

The gravel route from Sant Pere Pescador passes through Llampaies. It runs along the Fluvià and Ter rivers.

Route 149 reaches Llampaies at kilometre 9.24. The Itinerannia sign AE 279 and a GR shortcut towards Camallera are located there.

Two different route details are therefore recorded for Llampaies: the gravel route connects the village with the route along the Fluvià and Ter and runs from Sant Pere Pescador through Llampaies. Route 149, by contrast, is identified by a specific kilometre point. At point 9.24, there are the Itinerannia sign AE 279 and the GR shortcut towards Camallera.

For the wider travel overview: Girona.