Sant Aniol de Finestres: Romanesque Architecture and Serra de Finestres

Sant Aniol de Finestres lies at the foot of the rocky cliffs of the Serra de Finestres. Dense holm oak forests surround the village and cover the mountain slopes.

Nature

The northern part of the municipality of Sant Aniol de Finestres lies within the Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa.

Culture

Castell de Finestres has been documented since 947 and remained in existence until the earthquakes of 1427 and 1428. Today, some walls and parts of the cistern remain of the complex. The castle stands at an altitude of 960 metres amid the Serra de Finestres, dominates the Santa Pau valley and the Serra de Finestres, and offers views of the Empordà plain, the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean.

The Ermita de Santa Maria de Finestres is a single-nave Romanesque religious building; its raised semicircular apse and vault have survived from the original structure. It lies just over 5 kilometres from Sant Aniol de Finestres on a forest track towards Mieres and can only be reached on foot. Every year, an Aplec organised by the residents of Sant Aniol de Finestres takes place at the hermitage on the occasion of the Mare de Déu del Roser.

Roc de la Melca is a large sandstone block with a small prehistoric rock shelter beneath its overhangs, which was used by prehistoric people. The Església Romànica de Sant Miquel de Bustins is a single-nave Romanesque church with an apse featuring three windows and a bell gable. The Iglesia de Sant Aniol de Finestres was first mentioned in 979 and is of Romanesque origin; the raised semicircular apse and some sections of wall survive from the first construction phase.

During construction work in the parish church of Sant Aniol de Finestres, a mosaic was discovered beneath the altar in 1997, indicating a possible nymphaeum, a sanctuary dedicated to the water cult. At the Nimfeu de Sant Aniol de Finestres there is an opus signinum mosaic with white tessera decoration, which may have belonged to a nymphaeum or a water-cult sanctuary used at this site in the 2nd or 1st century BC.

The Capella de Sant Joan de les Medes is a small single-nave Romanesque chapel with a raised nave. It is decorated with stucco paintings created in 1859 that imitate Gothic architectural motifs. The Capella de la Mare de Déu de Bell-Lloc is a sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Hiking

The Camí de Finestres is a path to Finestres that begins directly beside the Can Tura restaurant and the Roc de la Melca. Route 9 to the pilgrimage church of Santa Maria de Finestres and the Iberian village of La Palomera begins and ends at the Can Tura restaurant in Sant Aniol de Finestres. It is 12.5 km long, takes 5 hours and 30 minutes, has an elevation gain/loss of +/-696 metres and is of moderate difficulty.

The Itinerari: Santuari de Finestres i el poblat ibèric leads along narrow paths, through damp forests, over scenic ridges and to natural viewpoints from which the Serra de Finestres gradually reveals itself.

Discover more places via these links: Camprodon, Pardines, Vilafant, Serinyà, Fortià, Cruïlles, Monells i Sant Sadurní de l'Heura, L'Alt Empordà, Mollet de Peralada.

For the higher-level travel overview: Girona.