Santa Maria de Breda

Santa Maria de Breda is a former parish church standing on the main square of Breda, a small town in the La Selva region of Girona province, Catalonia. No longer used for worship, the building now houses the town hall (Ajuntament) and the Josep Aragay Municipal Museum, and it is listed in Catalonia's Inventory of Architectural Heritage.

How to get there?

Breda sits in the La Selva comarca, roughly between Girona and Barcelona, along the route linking the Costa Brava coast with inland Catalonia. The church stands right on Plaça de la Vila, in the heart of town, so once you reach Breda by car or regional train, it's a short walk from the station or the main parking area.

What will you see?

The original Romanesque church was built between the 9th and 11th centuries, serving the small settlement that grew up around the nearby Sant Salvador de Breda monastery, founded in 1038 by the Counts of Cabrera, viscounts of Girona. In 1162, Bishop Guillem of Girona confirmed the church's link to the monastery, and around this time a new building went up: a single nave with a pointed vault and a semicircular apse, whose walls still preserve traces of Romanesque murals.

From the outside, the standout feature is the frieze of blind Lombard arches decorating the apse — a hallmark of Romanesque architecture in this part of Catalonia. Later centuries added two side chapels with ribbed vaulting, forming a transept, and in 1790, under rector Agustí i Coll, work began on the current bell tower, replacing an earlier one that had fallen into disrepair.

Santa Maria remained Breda's parish church until the 19th century, when the Benedictine community left the Sant Salvador monastery and parish duties were transferred to the monastery church itself. Santa Maria was then deconsecrated and put to various civic uses, eventually becoming the seat of the town council and home to a museum dedicated to Josep Aragay, a painter closely tied to Breda.

When to visit?

Since the building now serves as the town hall and museum, the best time to see the interior and exhibits is during regular office hours on weekdays. The square and the church's exterior, however, are accessible year-round, and spring or autumn make for a pleasant visit to this corner of La Selva, away from the summer crowds heading for the coast.

What else is worth knowing?

Breda is also known for its pottery and ceramics tradition, and on the hill above town you can visit the ruins of the Sant Salvador de Breda monastery mentioned above — a natural complement to a visit here, since the two sites share a common history.

Frequently asked questions

Is Santa Maria de Breda still an active church? No — the building was deconsecrated in the 19th century and now houses the town hall and the Josep Aragay Municipal Museum.

What architectural style is the building? Romanesque, notable for the blind Lombard arcade frieze on its apse, with later Gothic additions in the form of side chapels.

Is it worth combining a visit with the Sant Salvador monastery? Yes — the two are historically linked: Santa Maria was the church of the village that grew up around the Sant Salvador monastery, founded in 1038.

How long does a visit take? Seeing the square and the exterior takes only a few minutes, but allow around an hour if you also want to visit the museum inside.