Sant Pere dels Vilars (Espolla)

Sant Pere dels Vilars is the ruin of a pre-Romanesque chapel in the municipality of Espolla, in the Alt Empordà district of Girona province, Catalonia. The remains stand beside the road that climbs toward the Coll de Banyuls pass, roughly 1.25 km east of the old Vilars settlement — today little more than a place name on the map of this stretch of Empordà.

How old is the chapel?

The ruins date back to the 10th century, making Sant Pere dels Vilars an example of early medieval religious architecture from before the Romanesque period took hold in Catalonia. It was built using stone combined with clay or rammed earth, a construction method rarely found among surviving sacred buildings from this era. That gives the site a certain documentary value for researchers of early medieval settlement in the region, even though little of the original structure remains visible today.

What survives on site today?

Little of the structure has survived the centuries. Almost nothing stands above ground on the plot today, yet the footprint of the old walls remains readable if you look closely at the ground. The building itself was modest in scale, about 13 metres long and 4.5 metres wide, fitting the needs of a small rural community a thousand years ago. The plot where the ruins lie is known locally as Les Vinyes del Molí, a name that points to former vineyards, although old olive trees are what actually grow there now — a sign of how land use around Espolla has shifted over the centuries.

How do you get to the ruins?

Access follows the road linking Espolla with the Coll de Banyuls pass, heading toward the French border. There is no visitor infrastructure at the site: no ticket booth, no information panels, no fixed opening hours. This is an open-air archaeological remain set in the countryside at the foot of the Pyrenees. Sturdy footwear helps, since the approach partly follows dirt tracks and farm paths rather than paved road.

Espolla itself sits in wine-growing country tied to the Empordà appellation and is known for megalithic sites scattered across the surrounding hills, which makes Sant Pere dels Vilars one more layer in a long history of settlement in this part of Catalonia, stretching from prehistory through the Middle Ages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it free to visit the Sant Pere dels Vilars ruins? Yes. The site has no ticket booth or fencing, and access is open, as with most rural chapel ruins in the area.

How far is it from the Vilars settlement? The ruins sit about 1.25 km east of the old Vilars settlement, right beside the road toward the Coll de Banyuls pass.

What period does the building date from? The 10th century. It is a pre-Romanesque chapel built from stone and clay or rammed earth, a rare combination among surviving religious buildings of that period.

Can you still make out the shape of the chapel? Partially. Despite the very poor state of preservation, the wall lines of the roughly 13-by-4.5-metre building can still be followed on the ground.