Sant Julià del Llor i Bonmatí

Sant Julià del Llor i Bonmatí is currently the youngest municipality in the Selva region, since it was established as such in 1983, after separating from Amer.

The municipal area, of 9.73 km2 , extends along the left bank of the Ter river, bordering to the north and east with the municipalities of Amer, San Martín de Llémena and Sant Gregori, and is made up of two population centers: Sant Julià del Llor, to the southwest, and Bonmatí, to the east, and a good number of scattered farmhouses.

Historical summary of the municipality

Within the current territory of the municipality , Iberian remains have been found on some hills in the valley of the present-day Ter River, and there is also evidence that the Romans made use of the plants near the Ter River. More recently, around the year 884, with the spread of Christianity, the monastery of Sant Gregori founded several hermitages, such as Sant Julià del Llor.

Lead mining began in Sant Julià in 1734. Iron was scarce, as it had already been extracted for use in workshops where iron tools (fargas) were repaired and made. Mining also began in Inglés and Osor.

The cotton mill “Joaquim Estrany i Fills” was established in 1898 in the Bonmatí colony and employed around 400 people. Three years later, the second building was leased to H. Vicente Casacuberta, who also dedicated himself to cotton production. However, from 1912 onwards, the Casacuberta company took control of both textile mills.

In 1903, in the third building, Salvador Torras Domènech manufactured paper and employed about a hundred people.

During the Civil War, the industrial buildings were converted into military production factories. During the Republican retreat (1939), Líster dynamited the bridge of the colony. The company Fábricas L. Matas y Pons SA bought the buildings of the M. Bonmatí colony, and textile production resumed.

The inhabitants of Sant Julià del Llor i Bonmatí were dissatisfied with the municipal administration and desired self-government. On February 22, 1983, the Generalitat of Catalonia authorized the establishment of an independent municipality.

Places of interest

More Bonmatí

This ancient building, owned by the Bonmatí family, has been home to them for twenty-five generations. In 1920, it was transformed into a residential home in the Neo-Gothic style. It is easily recognizable due to the height of its five-story octagonal tower with a pointed roof. On the north side of the building is the private chapel of the Purísima. The architecture of the farmhouse is a testament to the influence of Manuel Bonmatí.

Bonmatí Colony

The Bonmatí colony is one of the youngest on the banks of the Ter River ( 1896 ). Its three factories —two textile mills and one paper mill —benefited from the mechanical power of the Ter River.

Manel Bonmatí leased the premises; each had its own water supply. In the early years of the factories' operation, the Ter River provided an irregular flow due to the lack of reservoirs.

Over the years, the factories have been modernized and have passed into private ownership: carpenters, blacksmiths, walking stick manufacturing and the hydroelectric power station that is still in operation.

Chapel of the Immaculate Conception

The chapel is attached to the Bonmatí farmhouse. Built in 1886, it belonged to the Bonmatí family. The nave was enlarged, the bell tower was built, and the interior and exterior were decorated in 1900. After the renovations, it was blessed on February 14, 1902. During the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the people of the settlement made paper lanterns and placed them in the windows of their houses. Currently, the Nova Frontera group makes the lanterns, and this important festival is still celebrated in Bonmatí. In 1970, during the construction of the Santa María de Bonmatí Parish Church, the Bonmatí Chapel served as the temporary parish church.

Romanesque bridge of Sant Julià del Llor

Roman construction still standing and currently restored. In the mid- 18th century, downpours damaged the old Sant Julià bridge, and it was replaced by footbridges and ferries.

La Cavorca II

These miraculously preserved ruins are popularly known as the Castle of the Moors and La Cavorca. They stand on either side of the St. Julian's road. They measure 2.5 meters high by 4 meters wide. It is believed that these sites were once Roman burial monuments.

Church of St. Augustine

The parish church, probably pre-Romanesque, is located on the summit of the highest hill in the municipality ( 295 m ). The building was rebuilt after the earthquakes of 1427; very little of the original structure remains. It consists of a single nave with two pointed arches that form a triumphal arch. The semicircular apse is horseshoe -shaped. It also contains a rectory and a sacristy. The cemetery, renovated in 1875, is located in front of the church.

Chapel of Saint Peter Martyr

In the middle of the forest, north of Sant Julià hill, someone built a chapel measuring little more than one square meter. In 2000, it was restored and the new image was blessed. The saint's feast day is celebrated on April 29th each year.

Aulina

Beneath the branches of the monumental Can Muné auline tree, planted two centuries ago, you will find the cool, shady respite of the fountain. The Massana housing development has grown up around it.

Header photo: Josep Maria Viñolas Esteva, "Ajuntament Sant Julià del Llor i Bonmatí", Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Original image on Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 License