Piera / Santa Creu de Creixà

INFORMATION

Font ID: 08286RIO
Object Type: Baptismal Font1
Font Century and Period/Style: 11th - 12th century (?), Romanesque
Church / Chapel Name: Ermita de Santa Creu de Creixà
Font Location in Church: [cf. FontNotes]
Church Patron Saint(s): Holy Cross
Church Notes: 11thC church
Church Address: 08784 Piera, Barcelona, Spain
Site Location: Barcelona, Cataluña / Catalunya, Spain, Europe
Directions to Site: Piera is located between the BV-2241 (E) and the BV-2242 (W), 5-6 km N of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia and the E-90
Ecclesiastic Region: Diocesis de Barcelona
Historical Region: Anoia
Additional Comments: font removed from its original church to the Caves Marques de Monistrol, Sant Sadurní d'Anoia probably ca. 1960 -- e-mail sent to the Caves req'g info (23/5/2003)-- no reply received -- returned to the church 2024
Font Notes:
A baptismal font is reported at the Caves Marquès de Monistrol, a well-known Catalan wine 'château'; the basin is described in Cruañes-Virella (1984) as cauldron-shaped, without a base. Several local sources inform about the returm of this font in 2024, after having 'disappeared' from the rural chapel more than sixty years earlier [https://infoanoia.cat/una-ermita-piera-recupera-una-pica-baptismal-sostreta-fa-mes-60-anys/] / [https://www.viladepiera.cat/actualitat/noticies/es-recupera-la-pica-baptismal-de-lermita-de-santa-creu-de-creixa-de-piera-que-havia-estat-sostreta-fa-mes-de-60-anys.html] [https://www.agenciaflama.cat/lermita-de-santa-creu-de-creixa-de-piera-recupera-la-pica-baptismal-despres-de-mes-de-60-anys/] [https://veuanoia.cat/piera-recupera-la-pica-baptismal-de-lermita-de-santa-creu-despres-de-ser-sostreta-fa-mes-de-60-anys/pica-baptismal-de-lermita-de-santa-creu-de-creixa-de-piera/] [accessed 4 June 2025]. The sources above report that the process to recover the font from the Caves was rather long with initial reluctance but it was enforced eventually by the authorities in 2024. The font is a very eroded cauldron-shaped basin with tapering sides devoid of any decoration [some of the above sources show images of it].

COORDINATES

UTM: 31T 397453 4590590
Latitude & Longitude (Decimal): 41.46035, 1.7721
Latitude & Longitude (DMS): 41° 27′ 37.26″ N, 1° 46′ 19.56″ E

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone
Number of Pieces: one
Font Shape: cauldron-shaped
Basin Interior Shape: round
Basin Exterior Shape: round
Rim Thickness: 13.5 cm [calculated]
Diameter (inside rim): 76 cm
Diameter (includes rim): 103 cm
Basin Depth: 60 cm
Basin Total Height: 85 cm
Notes on Measurements: Cruañes-Virella (1984) cited in Catalunya romànica (1984- , vol. XIX: 527)

REFERENCES

  • Cruañes i Oliver, Esteve, Piques baptismals d'immersió del Penedès i el seu entorn, Vilafranca del Penedès: Museu de Vilafranca, 1984
  • Fundació Enciclopèdia Catalana, Catalunya romànica, Barcelona: Fundació Enciclopèdia Catalana, 1984-, vol. XIX: 527