Located in the territory of Arles-sur-Tech, in the Pyrenees-Orientales, the Sainte-Marie abbey is a former Benedictine abbey founded in the 8th century, in 778. The oldest Carolingian abbey in Catalonia, it is now classified as an historic monument.
On site, you can still admire its Romanesque church with three naves with a large organ of the eighteenth century. Attached to it, the Gothic cloister of the thirteenth century deserves a look and a quiet walk. Do not miss to discover on the forecourt of the church a sarcophagus of the fourth century that secretes inexplicable clear water since it houses the relics of St. Abdon and St. Sennen.
Every July 30, the Sainte-Marie abbey hosts its patronal feast, including its procession of La Rodella. This tradition was born in the 15th century, with a donation of a wheel surrounded by a long thread of beeswax offered by the village of Montbolo to the abbey to obtain the protection of the saints.
