Santa Maria de Llerona

Santa Maria de Llerona is a fortified parish church standing on a small hill above the left bank of the Congost river, in the village of Llerona within the municipality of Les Franqueses del Vallès, in the Vallès Oriental region roughly 25 metres above the road linking Granollers and Vic. The building layers pre-Romanesque, Romanesque and late-medieval construction into a single structure, making it a rewarding stop for anyone exploring the area around Barcelona away from the main tourist trail.

How do you get to Santa Maria de Llerona?

The church sits right along the road connecting Granollers and Vic, close to the Barcelona–Puigcerdà railway line, so it is reachable both by car and by regional train, with a stop near Llerona. From Barcelona, the drive takes under an hour. The hillock on which the church stands is clearly visible from the road, and the spot has served as a landmark for travellers moving between the Congost and Vallès valleys for centuries.

What will you see there?

The floor plan follows a Latin cross with three square apses that retain pre-Romanesque characteristics — an unusual survival for this type of layout in the region. The west façade hides a semicircular Romanesque portal dated to the 12th century, resting on columns with richly carved capitals and flanked by double-splayed windows. The rest of the structure dates from building work carried out before 1226, placing most of the fabric in the 13th century.

In the 15th century the church was converted into a defensive stronghold: two rectangular towers, topped with tile roofs and pierced with arrow slits, were added on either side of the chancel, a clear sign of the unsettled times and the need to protect the parish community and its possessions. Inside, look for traces considerably older than the church itself — the building rises on the site of a former Roman villa, and an inscribed stone from that period is set into one of the interior walls. The baptismal font, meanwhile, was carved from part of a Roman sarcophagus decorated with a laurel-leaf motif, one of the most distinctive details in the interior.

The church's history has not been a peaceful one. In 1936, during the civil war, the building and its parish archives were burned; reconstruction followed in 1942. Today it is listed as a Bé Cultural d'Interès Nacional — Catalonia's designation for cultural heritage of national interest — confirming its historical and architectural weight within the region.

When should you visit?

The site is not bound by the seasonal patterns of typical tourist attractions since it remains an active parish church, so it is worth checking local opening hours and the Mass schedule before visiting, especially if you want to see the interior. Spring and autumn make for a comfortable time to walk around the hillock and along the Congost, avoiding the summer heat common further inland in Catalonia.

Why stop in Llerona?

The site brings together layers of history rarely found in one place: a Roman villa, pre-Romanesque apses, a Romanesque portal, Gothic-era expansion and medieval defensive fortification. For travellers moving between Barcelona and Girona or Vic, it makes an easy, low-effort stop that reveals a layer of Vallès Oriental's history not found at the region's more heavily visited landmarks.

Frequently asked questions

Can you enter Santa Maria de Llerona without a reservation? As an active parish, the church is generally open at set hours and during services — it is worth checking the current schedule before arriving, especially outside Mass times.

What is the oldest part of the building? The oldest elements are the traces of the Roman villa on which the church was built, including an inscribed stone and the baptismal font carved from a Roman sarcophagus fragment.

Why does the church have defensive towers? Two rectangular towers with arrow slits were added in the 15th century when the building was converted into a defensive point for the local community.

How far is it from Barcelona? Llerona lies within the municipality of Les Franqueses del Vallès, along the Granollers–Vic road, close enough to reach from Barcelona by car or train in under an hour.