Churches of Sant Pere de Terrassa
This is a monumental ensemble formed by the Romanesque churches of Sant
Pere, Sant Miquel and Santa Maria. They are located on the site of the
Visigothic settlement of Egara and bear witness to the episcopal see of Egara,
which was established around 450 CE and lasted until the 8th century.
Originally there was a basilica and, later, a cathedral on the spot today
occupied by the church of Santa Maria. A funeral sanctuary with an underground
crypt was also built, and a parish church on the site now occupied by the
church of Sant Pere. Later on, an episcopal palace was erected next to the
cathedral. It is known that a provincial council of the Tarraconensis, attended
by fourteen bishops, met for a session there in 615 CE.
This
monumental ensemble stands as a testament to western Christian art at the time
of the maximum splendour of the diocese of Egara. The existing Romanesque
churches date from the 11th and 12th centuries and were built on the foundations
of the Visigothic buildings.