Sant Quintí de Puig-rodon

Sant Quintí de Puig-rodon is an abandoned Romanesque church at the foot of the Serra de Sant Marc, 1,122 meters above sea level, in the far southwestern corner of Campdevànol municipality, in the Ripollès comarca of Girona province, Catalonia. Since the late 19th century it has no longer been an independent parish, serving instead as a subsidiary church of Sant Llorenç de Campdevànol — its partly ruined walls recall an era when these hills belonged to the monastery of Ripoll.

How do you get to a church perched on the Serra de Sant Marc?

The building sits in an isolated, mountainous stretch of the municipality, reached by roughly five kilometers of rough track from the Serradell farmstead — there is no paved road or marked parking at the site itself. The surroundings are pastureland typical of the area: small clearings hemmed in by forest, well away from the main routes through Ripollès. The church forms one stop on a local walking route that also takes in nearby Sant Marc d'Estiula and Sant Llorenç de Campdevànol, so it tends to draw hikers planning a longer day out rather than casual visitors looking for a quick roadside stop.

What survives of the 12th-century building?

The church has a single nave covered by a barrel vault reinforced with a transverse arch, closed by a semicircular apse topped with a quarter-sphere vault and a small central window — unusually oriented northwest rather than the standard east-facing layout of most Romanesque churches. A frieze of roughly worked stone in a sawtooth pattern runs beneath the roof eaves, and fragments of interior plaster and vaulting still carry traces of old paintwork. The building is abandoned and in poor condition: a later rectory addition hides much of the Romanesque structure, the bell tower and west façade are completely concealed behind newer construction, and vegetation has heavily overgrown the walls. The vault has deformed and risks collapse, making the interior unsafe to enter. Based on its architectural features, the church's construction is dated to the 12th century.

What is the history behind the site?

The earliest documented reference to Sant Quintí de Puig-rodon dates to 1096, when Count Bernat II of Besalú granted it to the monastery of Ripoll. On October 29, 1367, King Pere III transferred full jurisdiction over the parish to the monastery's abbot, tightening its dependence on Ripoll. In the 15th century, the neighboring territory of Sant Pere d'Auira was annexed to the parish, even though the place itself had always had few inhabitants — its mountainous setting was never especially attractive for settlement. The parish's independent status ended in 1868, when Sant Quintí became a subsidiary church of Sant Llorenç de Campdevànol and lost its own ecclesiastical administration.

Who should plan a visit here?

This is a site for enthusiasts of Romanesque architecture and regional history rather than mass tourism — there are no cafés, information panels, or easy road access. Its appeal lies in the raw Serra de Sant Marc landscape and the chance to pair a visit with a longer walking route through other religious heritage sites in Ripollès. Given the poor state of the vault, it's best to view the building from the outside only.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sant Quintí de Puig-rodon? It is an abandoned Romanesque church in the Campdevànol municipality, today a subsidiary chapel of the Sant Llorenç de Campdevànol parish, listed in Catalonia's inventory of architectural heritage.

Where exactly is it located? It stands at the foot of the Serra de Sant Marc, at 1,122 meters above sea level, in the far southwestern part of Campdevànol, in the Ripollès comarca.

How can you reach it? The easiest way is on foot, via the trail linking it to Sant Marc d'Estiula and Sant Llorenç de Campdevànol; driving access ends a few kilometers away, with a rough track from the Serradell farmstead covering the rest of the distance.

When was the church built? Its architectural style points to the 12th century, although the first written mention of the site dates back to 1096.

Can visitors go inside? The building is abandoned and its vault is deformed and at risk of collapse, so in practice visits are limited to viewing the structure from the outside.