Sant Martí de Mata

Sant Martí de Mata is a small hermitage in Mataró, tucked into the Mata neighborhood on the southern slope of the Serralada Litoral mountain range in the Maresme comarca. Sitting at roughly 313 metres above sea level and half-hidden by dense vegetation, it stands close to the boundary with the municipality of Sant Andreu de Llavaneres.

How do you get there?

Reaching the hermitage takes a short but steep final stretch — from the nearby Can Flaquer you have to climb uphill through scrubland on foot. The full access route runs about 1.7 km along dirt tracks, mostly passable by car though rutted in places, before the last section turns into a simple footpath through the greenery. Sturdy footwear is a good idea.

One practical note worth planning around: the hermitage is not freely open to visitors on a walk-in basis. It works better as a hiking destination and viewpoint than as a museum-style attraction, so don't expect to step inside without arranging access beforehand.

What will you see?

The building follows a simple rectangular plan with no apse, measuring roughly 6.5 by 13.5 metres on the outside. Its origins likely date to the 10th century in a pre-Romanesque style, although it is formally classified as 11th-century Romanesque. A round-arch portal marks one of the lateral façades, braced by three buttresses added during a major 1581 renovation that reinforced the whole structure.

The façade also carries a small stone-carved loophole window and a modest bell gable (espadaña). Inside, a primitive baptismal font carved from local granite survives, decorated with a heraldic shield and resting on a stone column — one of the site's more distinctive details. A Baroque altar, added in 1787, is deliberately modest in both design and execution, matching the rural, unpretentious character of the place.

The site's history runs deep: the first written mention of a chapel dedicated to Saint Martin dates back to the year 878, while the place name "Mata" itself appears in documents as early as 963. During the Middle Ages the building served as the parish church for the scattered farms of the surrounding area — administratively it answered to Mataró castle, while ecclesiastically it functioned as a sub-parish of Santa Maria de Mataró. After a long period of deterioration, it was restored in 1955, and today it holds protected status on the local heritage list (BCIL).

When should you visit?

Spring and autumn are the best seasons, when temperatures across the Maresme are mild and the vegetation around the hermitage is at its most striking; the shaded approach can feel hot and humid in the height of summer. Morning hours are a good choice, especially on weekends when the surrounding paths tend to draw local hikers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you go inside the hermitage? No, not on a walk-in basis — the building is preserved mainly as a historical monument, and viewing the interior requires arranging access in advance.

How far is Sant Martí de Mata from central Mataró? The hermitage sits in the Mata neighborhood on the city's northeastern edge, near the border with Sant Andreu de Llavaneres — the final approach has to be done on foot, uphill.

Where does the name Sant Martí de Mata come from? It combines the dedication to Saint Martin with "Mata," a local place name first recorded in documents from 963, considerably older than the chapel in its current form.

What architectural style does the building represent? It blends pre-Romanesque origins (likely 10th century) with a formal 11th-century Romanesque classification, while the visible buttresses date from a 1581 reinforcement.