Abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa

About

Founded in the 9th century, the current church of the Abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa was consecrated in 974. Crowned by a magnificent Romanesque bell tower, the church’s nave is one of the very few examples of pre-Romanesque architecture left in France. The Abbey cloisters had to be partially reconstructed after the originals were sold off in the French Revolution - they eventually made their way to New York City to be rebuilt as part of the famous Cloisters Museum. While exploring the abbey’s historic halls, visitors will find exceptional carved capitals, remnants of ancient frescoes, and if you’re lucky, the monks in their daily service. The abbey is also renowned for its acoustics, and hosts chamber music concerts in July and August as part of the famous Pablo Casals festival. Please note: the abbey is closed for lunch between 11:50 AM and 2:00 PM. To see the abbey’s upcoming event schedule, and to check their hours, please visit http://abbaye-cuxa.com/?lang=en