Santa Maria del Palau

Santa Maria del Palau is a ruined Romanesque church standing in a remote corner of the municipality of Torroella de Montgrí, in the Baix Empordà county of Girona province. Set deep inside the Montgrí massif, within the boundaries of the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park, it counts among the most isolated religious ruins in this part of Catalonia.

Where exactly is the site?

The ruins fall administratively within Torroella de Montgrí, though geographically they sit closer to the neighboring villages of Bellcaire d'Empordà and l'Escala than to Torroella's own town center. The site rests at a modest elevation, among the rocky hills of the Montgrí massif covered in typical Mediterranean scrubland. It's a stark, largely uninhabited landscape — the only nearby traces of human presence are the dry-stone walls scattered across the hillsides, remnants of old farmland.

How do you get there?

Reaching the church means walking or cycling in on a dirt track — there's no paved road to the ruins. The route runs past the Torre Ferrana watchtower and the Muntanya Gran hill, with the final stretch on foot only. This suits hikers comfortable with rough terrain: bring water and sturdy shoes, since the path is rocky and uneven, well away from any village or facilities.

What will you find at the site?

The church has a single rectangular nave, with no distinct chancel or apse. Overhead, a pointed barrel vault once covered the interior, and substantial sections of it still stand. The east wall preserves a splayed window opening, while the south wall shows traces of a former side entrance. The walls themselves were built from roughly worked stone, though the corners were clearly cut and fitted with more care than the rest of the masonry. Cleaning work carried out at the site has also exposed remains of a galilee porch at the entrance front, the base of the former altar, and fragments of the old mortar floor. The ruins are heavily weathered, and entering the interior carries some risk of collapse, so visitors are advised to stay outside the standing walls rather than venture inside.

What's the history behind the church?

A settlement at this spot, known as Palau, dates back to Roman times, inhabited from the 2nd century BCE through the late Middle Ages. The church in its current Romanesque form was built in the 13th century. The earliest written mention of it appears in the tithe records (Rationes decimarum) of 1279–1280, under a Latin name close to "Sancte Marie de Palacio." By the 14th century, records list it as a chapel dependent on the nearby parish of Bellcaire. The church was still active in the second half of the 15th century: a pastoral visitation record from the parish of Sant Genís de Torroella de Montgrí, dated 1470, lists it among the dependent chapels, noting that it held its own benefice.

Has the site been restored?

Yes. In 2017, the Torroella de Montgrí municipal council reached an agreement with the private landowners to take charge of the archaeological complex. Starting that autumn, consolidation and conservation work proceeded in several phases, aimed at stabilizing the surviving walls and vault against further decay. Archaeological cleaning during these works also brought to light the church features mentioned above, including the porch remains and altar base.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you go inside the ruined church? The site can be viewed from outside, but entering the ruins carries some risk given the condition of the vault and walls, so caution is advised.

What's the best way to reach the site? On foot or by bicycle, via a dirt track through the Montgrí massif past the Torre Ferrana tower and Muntanya Gran hill — the last stretch is walk-only.

How old is the church? The standing Romanesque building dates from the 13th century, though the site itself was settled as far back as the 2nd century BCE, in Roman times.

Has any restoration work been done here? Yes, since 2017 the Torroella de Montgrí council has carried out consolidation and conservation work on the archaeological complex, including the church itself.