Sant Maure

Sant Maure is the parish church of the neighbourhood that carries the same name, part of the municipality of Santa Margarida de Montbui in the province of Barcelona, in Catalonia's Anoia region. The building stands on Carrer de Can Passanals, in the part of town that grew up along the Anoia river, directly across from neighbouring Igualada.

Why is the church dedicated to Sant Maure?

Devotion to Sant Maure in Montbui goes back to the 16th century. In 1596 the residents of the municipality made a public vow, placing themselves under the saint's protection in the hope of being spared the plague outbreaks that repeatedly struck the region at the time. For centuries afterward, this devotion existed only as one chapel inside the older parish church of Santa Margarida, the municipality's main church. It was the demographic growth of the 20th century that eventually gave Sant Maure a building of its own.

Why was a new church built in the 1960s?

During the 1950s and 1960s, a new neighbourhood grew up along the Anoia river, right next to Igualada, and over time it became the most populated area in the whole municipality of Santa Margarida de Montbui. The distance to the existing church of Santa Margarida proved impractical for the new residents, so church authorities decided to build a separate place of worship directly in the Sant Maure neighbourhood. Construction began in 1965, with a budget of 891,765 pesetas, and the new church was opened for worship on 1 May 1966. It was raised to the status of an independent parish in 1968, formally separating from the mother parish of Santa Margarida.

What does the church's architecture look like?

The building draws its form from medieval church models, even though it was raised in the second half of the 20th century. Its floor plan follows a cross shape, and a lantern rises above the crossing to light the interior — a solution typical of older cross-plan churches, reproduced here in a modern building. The corners are reinforced with more regular stone blocks, and the base of the walls is finished with vertically set stone slabs, forming a clear plinth running around the whole structure. This choice of materials and detailing gives the church a plain but coherent appearance that fits the post-war character of the neighbourhood.

What should visitors know before stopping by?

Sant Maure is above all an active parish rather than a museum piece — the church still serves the religious life of the neighbourhood's residents. Visitors exploring the Igualada area and the Anoia valley can treat a stop on Carrer de Can Passanals as part of a walk through this side of Santa Margarida de Montbui, pairing it with the story of a community that stayed loyal to its patron saint for centuries before finally getting a church to call its own. Because the building remains in active religious use, anyone hoping to see the interior should plan around times when services are not taking place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is the church of Sant Maure located? It stands on Carrer de Can Passanals, in the Sant Maure neighbourhood of the municipality of Santa Margarida de Montbui, in the province of Barcelona.

Why does the devotion to Sant Maure matter so much to Montbui's residents? It stems from a vow made in 1596, when the municipality placed itself under the saint's protection in the face of epidemics ravaging the region — a tradition that lasted until a dedicated church was finally built in the 20th century.

When was the current church building constructed? Construction started in 1965, the church opened for worship on 1 May 1966, and it became an independent parish, Sant Maure, in 1968.

How does Sant Maure differ from the Santa Margarida church in the same municipality? Santa Margarida is the municipality's older, historic parish church, while Sant Maure is a much more recent building, raised in the 1960s specifically for the residents of the neighbourhood that grew up along the Anoia river next to Igualada.