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In the last visit I made to the monastery of Sant Joan de les Abadesses, in the region of Ripollès, I observed with what affection and care the sculptural group of the Descendimiento or Santísimo Misterio is taken care of.
The sculptural group of the Descent, carved in 1250, is considered one of the most outstanding examples of Catalan Romanesque. In fact, the Most Holy Mystery is the only Romanesque descendant preserved in situ in Catalonia.
The altarpiece is also known by this name of the Most Holy Mystery since in 1426 some incorrupt remains were found inside a reliquary hidden in the head of Christ.
Wifredo el Velloso founded the monastery of Sant Joan de Ripoll in 887, which ended up being called San Joan de les Abadesses. For almost 60 years, between the 9th and 10th centuries, it was the only female monastery in Catalonia.
The first abbess was Wifred's daughter, Emma of Barcelona. This community of Benedictine nuns remained until 1017 when the nuns, accused of leading an unexemplary life, were expelled.
The monastery was then occupied by a male community of Augustinian canons until the 16th century and then came to be ruled by archpriests until the 19th century.
According to the Cultural Heritage of the Generalitat, "the monastic precinct that we can currently see has undergone modifications over time."
The original Romanesque church was renovated in the 12th century following the monumental architectural models of southwestern France and was partly replaced after the earthquake of 1428.
Attached to the church are the Gothic cloister (15th century) and the Chapel of Sorrows (18th century), with the baroque dome by the sculptor Jacint Morató. The old abbey palace, from the 14th-15th century, is also preserved, where the Interpretation Center of the Myth of Count Arnau is currently located, since this legendary character is related to the first community of nuns of the abbey.
