On 4th June 1038, Guerau de Cabrera and his wife Ermessenda, the Viscounts of Girona and lords of Breda and the surrounding county, founded the Benedictine Monastery of Sant Salvador in the Breda Valley. On 4th October 1068, the Bishops of Girona and Barcelona and the Abbot Amat consecrated the monastery’s church in the presence of Ponç de Cabrera, Guerau and Ermessenda’s son. This is considered to be the date on which the village as we know it today was founded because, from that date onwards, the social and urban structures of the town began to develop. Therefore, Breda is a village with a rich Medieval legacy, offering several points of interest for visitors keen on history and heritage.
Pottery is the other cornerstone of Breda’s heritage. Dating back as far as 1408, there are records of a chapel dedicated to Saint Hippolytus, the patron saint of potters. This centuries-old tradition is still very much alive today, with workshops and modern factories exporting earthenware around the world, and a number of specialist pottery shops around the village.
MONASTERY OF SANT SALVADOR
9th Century
Today’s parish church used to be the church of the Monastery of Sant Salvador de Breda. It has an impressive Lombard bell tower that formed part of the original 11th Century…
CLOISTER
13th or 14th Century
On the side of the church, we can still see the north wing of the cloister, one of the four that originally comprised the whole cloister of the Monastery of Sant Salvador.
Its construction is thought…
PATI DE L’ABADIA (ABBEY COURTYARD)
15th Century
As the name suggests, this courtyard gave access to the various parts of the Abbey complex. We can still see the staircase that led to the Abbot’s residence and the well that supplied the Monastery with water. Key features include…
CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA
9th-11th CENTURY
An old 19th Century pottery workshop, inside, there are two Moorish kilns, the typical type of oven used for the traditional method of firing pottery. A permanent exhibition showcases the pottery of Breda in the main part of the building, and there are…
CHAPEL OF SANTA ANNA
17th CENTURY
Records of the existence of the Chapel of Santa Anna date back to 1624. The Baroque chapel received a benediction in 1789, perhaps coinciding with improvements…
MONTSORIU CASTLE
11th Century
Si bé no està situat dins el terme municipal de Breda, el Castell de Montsoriu forma part del seu patrimoni per la seva proximitat i per la seva vinculació històrica. Si bé les primeres…
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Breda forms part of the Montseny National Park, which was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1978. The village is a great starting point for excursions into the mountain range, which offers an extraordinary variety of flora and fauna. Artur Osona wrote the first hiking guide on a Catalan mountain in 1879, recounting a walk from Breda to the peak of Turó de l’Home.
http://parcs.diba.cat/web/montseny
www.turisme-montseny.com/
GUIDE TOURS
To schedule a guided tour around Breda’s historical heritage, please contact the Els Forns Cultural Centre and Tourism Information Point by email at elsforns@breda.cat, or call 972 87 15 30 during opening hours (saturdays from 9.30 to 13.30 and 16.00 to 19.00; sundays and public holidays from 9.30 to 13.30).
We would like to recommend some routes for enjoying the surrounding area
ELS FORNS CULTURAL CENTRE
The Church of Santa Maria, the village’s former parish church, was built between 878 and 1038. The 12th Century apse is still standing today, with some of the original wall paintings still visible in the crossing.
Located behind the Monastery…
JOSEP ARAGAY MUSEUM
In the ground floor of the Town Council building, the Josep Aragay Museum showcases the artist’s work. Living between 1889 and 1973, Aragay was a leading figure…
WEEKLY MARKET
On Sunday mornings, around the church and town hall, there is a weekly market that really bring the village to life. It is a great excuse to go for a stroll and check out…