Sant Julià del Llor i Bonmatí

Sant Julià del Llor and Bonmatí is currently the youngest municipality in the Selva region, as 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 centres: Sant Julià del Llor, to the southwest, and Bonmatí, to the east, and a good number of scattered farmhouses.

Historical summary of the municipality

In the current area of the municipality , Iberian records have been found in some hills in the valley of the present-day Ter River, and there is also evidence that the Romans exploited the plants near the Ter River. More recently, around 884, with the spread of Christianity, the monastery of Sant Gregori founded some hermitages, such as that of Sant Julià del Llor.

In 1734, lead mining began in Sant Julià. Iron was scarce, as it had already been extracted some time before to be used in workshops where iron tools (fargas) were repaired and made. Lead mining also began in Inglés and Osor.

The "Joaquim Estrany i Fills" cotton mill was established in 1898 in the Bonmatí neighborhood and employed around 400 people. Three years later, the second warehouse was leased to H. Vicente Casacuberta, who also dedicated himself to cotton production. However, starting in 1912, the Casacuberta company took control of both textile warehouses.

In 1903, in the third warehouse, Salvador Torras Domènech produced paper and employed around 100 people.

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

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

Places of interest

More Bonmatí

A thousand-year-old building, owned by the Bonmatí family, who have welcomed him for twenty-five generations throughout its history. In 1920, it was transformed into a neo-Gothic residential home. It is easily located due to the height of its five-story octagonal tower with a pointed roof. On the north side of the building, we can find the private chapel of the Immaculate Conception. The architecture of the farmhouse is a testament to Manuel Bonmatí's powers.

Bonmatí Colony

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

Manel Bonmatí rented the premises, each with its own water pipe. 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 passed into private ownership: carpentry, blacksmithing, cane making, and the hydroelectric power plant, which is still in operation.

Chapel of the Immaculate Conception

Chapel attached to the Bonmatí farmhouse. Built in 1886, it was owned by the Bonmatí family. The nave was enlarged, the bell tower was built, and the interior and exterior were decorated in 1900. Once remodeled, it was blessed on February 14, 1902. During the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the people of the colony made paper lanterns and placed them in the windows of their houses. Currently, the Nova Frontera group makes the lanterns, and this special festival continues to be celebrated in Bonmatí. In 1970, during the construction of the Santa María de Bonmatí parish, the Bonmatí chapel was temporarily the parish church.

Romanesque Bridge of Sant Julià del Llor

A Roman construction still in place and currently restored. In the mid- 18th century, heavy rains damaged the old Sant Julià bridge, and it was replaced with footbridges and libant boats.

The Cavorca II

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

Church of San Agustín

Parish church, probably pre-Romanesque. It is located on the top of the highest hill in the municipality ( 295 m ). The building was rebuilt due to the earthquakes of 1427; very little of the authentic part of it remains today. It consists of a single nave, with two lowered arches that form a triumphal arch. The semicircular apse is horseshoe -shaped. It also contains a rectory and a sacristy. In front of it is the cemetery, renovated in 1875.

Chapel of Saint Peter the Martyr

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

Classroom

Beneath the foliage of the monumental classroom of Can Muné, planted two centuries ago, you will find the cool, shady respite of the fountain. The Massana residential area has grown up around it.