The Monastery of Sant Benet de Bages is a former 10th-century Benedictine abbey designated a Cultural Asset of National Interest. An iconic monument of the region, it’s a must-see for lovers of architecture, Romanesque art, and now music as well, since it’s the new venue for the Candlelight concerts.
It’s located in Sant Fruitós de Bages, near Manresa and the Sant Llorenç del Munt and Obac Natural Park. To get there, you can drive or take public transportation—first the Rodalies train to Manresa, then bus 751. What are you waiting for to discover one of Catalonia’s best-preserved monastic complexes?
Facts, trivia, and interesting things about the Monastery of Sant Benet de Bages
1. Its first pre-Romanesque church was home to 12 monks
Just as you read it. That first church was consecrated in the year 972 with a small community of 12 monks. It was from the 12th century through the early 13th century that it experienced its golden age with the construction of the complex’s Romanesque gem—the cloister—and the new church featuring a Latin cross plan, a square bell tower, and a very large dome.
2. The monastery suffered several attacks that razed the building
Nothing remains of the original pre-Romanesque church—already mentioned in the previous section—due to the attacks the monastery suffered in the 12th century, the century from which the oldest surviving parts date.
These attacks carried out by Muslim troops—one of them in 1125—devastated the building and led to a major reconstruction effort undertaken by local nobles, who in exchange requested the right to be buried in the monastery.
3. The painter Ramon Casas spent his summers here throughout his life
It all began when the painter’s mother, Elisa Carbó i Ferrer, purchased the Sant Benet estate in 1907. Following a major restoration project led by the great Modernist architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch, the monastery was converted into a residence, eventually regaining its former splendor.
Candlelight Concerts at the Monastery of Sant Benet de Bages
Candlelight, the series of candlelit concerts that has already illuminated 170 cities around the world, comes to Bages with a very special program of tributes. The venue, the Monestir Sant Benet de Bages, will be filled with thousands of candles that will bathe the timeless melodies of Vivaldi and Hans Zimmer, performed by a talented string quartet.
What else can you do at the Monestir Sant Benet de Bages?
The Món Sant Benet cultural, tourism, and leisure initiative, promoted by the Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera around the monastery, aims to showcase its heritage through a variety of family-friendly, cultural, and culinary activities.
All in all, it offers you a visit—or a journey through time—via an intimate tour through the monastery’s ancient corridors and rooms; two sensory experiences that will immerse you in the building’s medieval or Modernist past through holograms, projections, and sound effects; and even a mystery game based on solving a theft.
Not to mention the three irresistible dining options that will let you savor and enjoy the best cuisine the Bages region has to offer: the restaurants El Món, La Fonda, and the Michelin-starred L’Ó.
The iconic Monestir Sant Benet de Bages will glow with the radiance of thousands of candles thanks to Candlelight. The global phenomenon of intimate tribute concerts comes to this stunning location to offer you magical evenings that will bring you closer to the best classical and contemporary music by candlelight.
