Sant Martí de Cassà

Sant Martí de Cassà is the Gothic parish church of Cassà de la Selva, a small town in the province of Girona, Catalonia. It stands on Plaça de Sant Pere, right at the heart of town, and has served as the main parish church for centuries.

Where does the church come from?

The story of this site goes back to the 11th century. The earliest written record of a church here appears in a 1019 endowment document for the Girona cathedral chapter. In 1159, Arnau de Llers transferred the church to the authority of the bishopric of Girona, and in 1172 Bishop Guillem de Monells formally granted it to the Girona chapter. That original Romanesque building did not survive intact — only fragments of it remain, reused when the church was rebuilt centuries later.

What will you see today?

The building standing today dates from the 16th and 17th centuries and is Gothic in style, though the façade carries clear Renaissance touches and the transept chapels show later neoclassical additions. The church follows a Latin-cross plan, with a single nave covered by a cross vault and side chapels opening through pointed arches. The sanctuary ends in a polygonal apse.

The most recognizable feature on the skyline is the octagonal bell tower: its main body was finished in 1699, while the spire on top was not added until 1787 — nearly a century later.

Architecture enthusiasts should look for traces of the earlier Romanesque phase of the building: a large Romanesque arcade, remnants of capitals and columns, and pieces of an elaborate portal, all reused in the walls of the bell tower and nave. It is a rare chance to trace several centuries of architectural change on a single structure — from Romanesque origins, through the Gothic core, to its Renaissance and neoclassical additions.

How to get there?

Cassà de la Selva sits in the province of Girona, close to the main routes linking the Costa Brava coast with inland Catalonia. The church stands on Plaça de Sant Pere, in the historic center of town, making it an easy starting point for exploring the rest of Cassà de la Selva on foot.

When to visit?

The town and its church can be visited year-round. Spring and autumn are pleasant for walking through the center without the heat typical of Catalan summers. It is worth checking the local calendar of patron-saint festivities — many towns in the Girona region hold celebrations honoring the parish's patron saint centered on the main church and square, with extra events taking place around them.

Frequently asked questions

How old is the church of Sant Martí de Cassà? The first documented mention of a church on this site dates to 1019, though the current Gothic building was constructed in the 16th and 17th centuries on the foundations of an earlier Romanesque church.

What architectural style dominates the church? The core structure is Gothic, built on a Latin-cross plan, but the façade shows Renaissance elements and the transept chapels have neoclassical additions. Fragments of the earlier Romanesque phase are also visible.

What is the most distinctive feature of the church's exterior? The octagonal bell tower, whose main body was completed in 1699, with the spire added only in 1787 — almost a century later.

Where exactly is the church located? On Plaça de Sant Pere in Cassà de la Selva, in the province of Girona, right in the center of town.