Sant Pere de Rodes
Sant Pere de Rodes is a former Benedictine monastery in the comarca of Alt Empordà, in the North East of Catalonia, Spain. It has been constructed in the side of the Verdera mountain below the ruins of the castle of Sant de Verdera that had provided protection for the monastery. The true origin of the monastery is not known, which has given rise to speculation and legend; such as its foundation by monks who disembarked in the area with the remains of Saint Peter and other saints, to save them from the Barbarian hordes that invaded the Western Roman Empire. Once the danger had passed the Pope Boniface IV commanded them to construct a monastery. The first documentation of the existence of the monastery dates 878, when it was mentioned as a simple monastery cell consecrated to Saint Peter, but it is not until 945 when an independent Benedictine monastery was founded, led by an abbot. Connected with the County of Empúries, it reached its maximum splendor between the 11th and 12th centuries until its final decay in the 17th century. Its increasing importance is reflected in its status as a point of pilgrimage.
Region: Catalunya
City: Pau
Distance: 17.33 km
Elevation Gain: 493 m
Elevation Loss: 432 m
Difficulty: 384 (Moderate)
FIETS Index: 2.67 FIETS
Avg Grade: 5.56 %
Max cat climb: 2
Min elevation: 24 m
Max elevation: 505 m
Ride Category: Hilly