Churches of Sant Pere de Terrassa

Terrassa was known as Ègara during the time of the Roman Empire and is located just 30 kilometres from Barcelona. It boasts one of the best-preserved religious ensembles of the early-Christian period, a historic pivotal point straddling the time of the Romans and the early Christians.

A series of early-Christian churches was built in the 6th century in the centre of the diocese of Ègara. Some of the orginal elements survive today. The church of Sant Miquel remains the most faithful to the original floor plan and elevation. The apse also has a unique example of 6th-century mural paintings.

The church of Santa Maria, which was originally the cathedral of the diocese, dates from the 12th century, and retains the original baptistry. The church of Sant Pere also has an apse from the same period, with a 10th-century stone altarpiece. There are other Gothic altarpieces too. In the early 20th century, the modernista architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch was commissioned to restore the entire monumental ensemble.

The ensemble stands in the middle of the Parc de Vallparadís, one of the biggest urban parks in Europe, which has more than 400,000 m2 of green spaces. The park also hosts major events, such as the Terrassa Art Nouveau Fair and the Terrassa Jazz Festival, and has other visitor attractions such as the textile museum, the Museu Tèxtil.

The monastery was placed on the list of Cultural Assets of National Interest (BCIN) by the Catalan government in 1931.