Santa Margarida

Santa Margarida is the ruined hermitage chapel of Castellgalí, a small municipality in the Bages county of Barcelona province. Standing alone on a hillside roughly 345 metres above sea level, the building carries almost eight centuries of history and remains one of the town's most distinctive landmarks.

Where is it and how do you get there?

The ruins sit apart from the village centre, reached by an unpaved track that can be rough going for an ordinary car — a 4x4 or a walk on foot is the more reliable option. From the village itself, a street called Carrer de Santa Margarida points the way, linking the parish church to the Artigues valley and climbing toward the rise where the old chapel stands. The site is enclosed by a locked iron gate, so visits are limited to viewing the exterior.

What survives on site?

Little remains of the original medieval structure raised in the 13th century, which once carried Romanesque features that are hard to make out today. What survives is a rectangular floor plan, the side walls, the façade and the chancel — the roof is gone entirely. The earliest written record of the building dates to 1225, and a small priory following the Augustinian rule once operated alongside it, complete with outbuildings that included a vaulted room, a bread oven and a kitchen.

In 1772 the chapel underwent a substantial Baroque remodeling: the nave was extended, the ceiling raised, the original freestanding apse removed, and the interior finished with Baroque plasterwork. That date is still carved into the sacristy door. Several surviving features date from this period, among them a wall-mounted bell gable, the stairway that once led to the choir loft, the sacristy itself, and niches where an altar retable once stood.

The 20th century brought further damage. The building was desecrated in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War, and its vault collapsed in 1958. A further setback came in the autumn of 1999, when heavy rain brought down the south wall of the wider hermitage complex. Even so, the chapel's side walls remain standing today, enough to trace the outline of the original building.

The annual gathering — Aplec de Santa Margarida

Once a year, on 21 September, the hermitage hosts a traditional gathering known as an aplec, organised by the Museu de Castellgalí. Revived in 1991 after years of interruption, the celebration includes a mass, the singing of traditional hymns known as goigs, a shared communal meal, bell-ringing and a concert. It is the one day of the year when this isolated site draws a real crowd of locals and visitors.

When to visit?

Given its exposed, unroofed condition, the site is best visited in spring or summer, when longer days and settled weather make the unpaved approach easier. Anyone hoping to see the hermitage as part of local life should time a visit for 21 September, the day of the annual aplec. Keep in mind that the chapel itself can only be viewed from outside, since the grounds stay locked behind an iron gate.

Frequently asked questions

What is Santa Margarida in Castellgalí? It is a ruined medieval hermitage chapel dating from the 13th century, first documented in 1225 and today preserved as a partial, roofless ruin.

Can visitors go inside the chapel? No — the site is enclosed by a locked iron gate, and access is limited to viewing the building from outside.

Why is the chapel in such poor condition? Damage accumulated over time: it was desecrated during the Spanish Civil War in 1936, its vault collapsed in 1958, and the south wall of the surrounding complex fell in the autumn of 1999 after heavy rain.

When does the festival at the hermitage take place? The annual aplec, organised by the Museu de Castellgalí, is held on 21 September and includes a mass, traditional hymn singing, a communal meal and a concert.