Sant Joan de les Abadesses 1.32

Sant Joan de les Abadesses is a town and municipality located in the south-east of the comarca of Ripollès, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain.Geography and climateThe town is located along the upper part of the River Ter, in the valley of the same name, and enclosed by the Serra Cavallera to the north and the mountain of Sant Antoni to the south. It has an inland, continental climate, with abundant precipitation and notable temperature variability.EconomyMost of the economy of Sant Joan de les Abadesses is centered on industry and manufacturing. However, there have more recently been increases in tourism to the town, with a corresponding increase in the service industry. Rural areas of the municipality are largely occupied by farms, usually raising cows.HistoryAncient timesHuman settlement in the valley around Sant Joan de les Abadesses dates to prehistoric times, and archeological research has found evidence of settlements in the region from the Lower Paleolithic era.It seems that the area was not very much Romanized, despite the fact that a branch of the Via Augusta went up the valley to the Coll d'Ares.Middle AgesThe origins of the present town lie in the founding of the Monastery of Sant Joan de les Abadesses by Wilfred the Hairy in 887. This was one of the first nunneries founded in Catalonia, and its first abbess was Emma of Barcelona, daughter of Wilfred. The Benedictine community grew in wealth and importance throughout the 10th century. However, in 1017, the nuns, accused of violating the rules by which they were supposed to be living, were expelled in a bull by Pope Benedict VIII.