REMEDYING NEGLECT
A church already existed in this barren and hostile mountain setting in the Aspres valley in 1069, as testified by official documents. It was made into a priory in 1082 on the orders of the viscounts of Cerdagne, with a collegiate of regular monks of the order of St. Augustine. This order continued to remain here until 1593.
It has long since been abandoned but it was classified as a historical monument around the mid 1800’s. It today belongs to the Department of the Eastern Pyrenees, that oversees its care and restoration. As other great works of the Romanesque period it is today threatened by the greed of unscrupulous art traders and collectors: two columns and their capitals having recently been stolen from the south portal. A planned robbery according to the experts. The power of money having no respect for either art, beauty of the sacred value of places.

THE MAGNIFICENCE OF A FANTASTIC BESTIARY
The exterior aspect of the building, made of very dark blocks of schist stone, roughly squared and in clear contrast with the elegant interior decoration, all made of finely sculpted pink marble. Access to the church is by means of a covered gallery, which faces the precipice, and which acted as a cloister. The sculpted work of the capitals shows a deep eastern influence, which was a typical feature of the Romanesque style of Rossiglione.
Inside the church the nave is divided into two by the tribune, which served to outline the part of the chancel and the transept dedicated to worship, separating it form the eastern part reserved to the worshipers.
The tribune is undoubtedly the most interesting feature of Serrabone; an authentic masterpiece by the Romanesque sculptors of Rossiglione, who were probably the same as those who worked in the nearby St. Michel de Cuxa. The complex rests on ten columns and two pilasters surmounted by capitals which support the vaults with cross ribbing. The platform being reserved for the choir.
The capitals and the entire tribune façade, which is of a length of 5 and a half metres, bear hundred of delicately sculpted motives, depicting all the principal Medieval bestiary themes, inspired both by the bible and mythological traditions.

BEHIND THE FAÇADE
Serrabone is located in the hostile region of Les Aspres with a winding road which winds through the typical Pyrenean landscape. There are no traces of any human inhabitation: the priory alone dominates this mountain desert.
The barren appearance of the building is in line with its surroundings; the walls appear to be those of a fortress or a prison. Visitors are therefore greatly surprised, when they see the wealth of artistic work in the interior, realized by unknown hands. Featuring a whole series of griffon, dragon, lion and angel figures, amongst floral and leaf decorations, originating from a magical oriental world, which bears no relation to any modern or daily world. Sarrabone announces the existence of other worlds for which there are no words.