Abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa

The Abbey of Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa is one of the great Romanesque monuments of southern France, set in the orchards below Canigou mountain just outside Prades. Founded in the 10th century, the abbey's pink-marble cloister, bell towers and crypt are among the best-preserved examples of pre-Romanesque and early Romanesque architecture in the Pyrenees. The setting against the mountain, particularly in the late afternoon light, is exceptional.

The abbey is still occupied by Benedictine monks and the daily rhythm of the monastic horarium continues. Visitors are welcome, and the monks sell honey and other produce. The cloister walk is quiet and contemplative, and the crypt — one of the oldest surviving parts of the building, dating to the 10th century — has a powerful, dark atmosphere. Prades is largely worth visiting for this abbey alone.

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A story
When the Cuxa cloister was sold off in the 19th century, the individual capitals and columns ended up scattered across antique dealers throughout France and the United States. A significant portion was purchased by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which reassembled them as the 'Cuxa Cloister' at The Cloisters museum in Manhattan. To this day, you can see half the cloister in the Pyrenees and the other half in New York.