Ermita de Sant Andreu del Vilar

Ermita de Sant Andreu del Vilar is the ruined shell of a former Romanesque parish church, standing on a low ridge above the Cinyana river near the hamlet of Vilar de Terradelles, within the municipality of Vilademuls in the Pla de l'Estany region of Girona province, Catalonia. Locally the site carries this hermitage-style name, even though for most of its working life it served as the parish church of Terradelles rather than a hermit's chapel.

Where exactly are the ruins?

The remains sit on a small rise on the left bank of the Cinyana, set apart from the houses of Vilar by a lane connecting the old N-II road with Terradelles, Vilademuls and Banyoles. The setting is quiet farmland typical of the Pla de l'Estany interior — open fields and low hills, with no crowds and no signage, making the ruins a stop for those exploring the area's rural heritage rather than a standalone destination.

What is the history behind the site?

The area first turns up in written records in 1280: that year the knight Bartomeu d'Avellaneda acquired jurisdiction over Orriols castle and its dependent settlements, Vilar and Terradelles among them, paying Infant Joan 5,500 sous for the rights. The church itself first appears by name in 1372, in a bovatge tax redemption document issued under King Peter the Ceremonious, which records the "vicinage of Vilar de Sant Andreu de Tarradelles." Lordship over the area stayed with the Avellaneda family for generations before passing, through marriage in the 15th century, to the Desbac-Avellaneda line.

The church acted as the parish seat for Terradelles, with a cemetery attached, until a new parish church was raised in the village itself during the first half of the 18th century. The older building was not abandoned immediately, though — it stayed in occasional use until 1858, when the last mass was said there.

What did the building look like, and what survives today?

The church followed the plan common to small Romanesque rural chapels of the region, likely raised in the 12th century: a single rectangular nave measuring roughly 8.70 by 5.48 metres, built from dressed sandstone blocks with pilasters carrying a transverse arch. The entrance opened through the west façade, while a semicircular apse closed the building on the east side — though nothing of that apse survives above ground today beyond faint traces in the terrain.

What remains now are stretches of perimeter wall, ranging from just under two metres high down to barely thirty centimetres in the most eroded sections. In 1980 local residents cleared and partly excavated the ruins, identifying the adjoining area as the old churchyard cemetery, and set up a small stone marker with a ceramic tile depicting Saint Andrew — a modest way of keeping the memory of the church alive after the building itself had crumbled to its foundations.

Are there still any ceremonies held here?

Yes. Once a year, on Saint Andrew's feast day (30 November) or the following Sunday, an open-air mass is celebrated among the ruins — a tradition kept up by residents of the area as a living link to the site's centuries-long religious role.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you visit Ermita de Sant Andreu del Vilar? Yes, the ruins sit in open countryside and can be reached freely at any time. There is no roofed structure or visitor infrastructure on site, since only wall fragments of the original church remain.

Is this the same place as Terradelles? The ruins lie within the hamlet of Vilar de Terradelles, which falls administratively under the municipality of Vilademuls. Historically, the church served as the parish for the whole of Terradelles.

Why did the church stop being used? A new parish church was built in the village itself during the first half of the 18th century, but the old church kept holding services alongside it until 1858, when the final mass was celebrated there.

What can you actually see on site? Besides the remaining wall fragments and the faint trace of the former apse, look for the small marker with a ceramic tile of Saint Andrew erected in 1980, and the cypress trees standing over the area of the old cemetery.