Monastery of Sant Daniel in Girona

At that time, the bishopric was in financial difficulties and had to face important works in the cathedral (the construction of the Romanesque church that would be consecrated in 1038). The sale was to help the bishopric financially, which had probably owned the site of Sant Daniel since the end of the 9th or beginning of the 10th century, that is, since the arrival of the relics of the titular saint. On 15 March 1018, Countess Ermessenda, already the widow of Count Ramon Borrell, and her son Berenguer Ramon I (c. 1006-1035) formalised the donation of the church of Sant Daniel and all its goods and rights to the monastery of the same name.

The purchase of the parish of Sant Daniel was probably made with the foundation of the Benedictine monastery in mind, but it is not until the donation of 1018 that the monastic house is mentioned, so we must place the foundation process between 1015 and 1018. It should be noted that this donation included other goods, which were to facilitate the upkeep of the new monastic house. There is no mention of the existence of any community at that time, only a reference to the construction of the church. In 1028, the monastery of Sant Daniel and its abbess, Bonafilla, are mentioned for the first time. In 1086, the church that Ermessenda had begun, and which had been completed thanks to the support and protection of Countess Mafalda, the wife of Ramon Berenguer II, was consecrated.

At that time the monastery accumulated an important patrimony, which was indispensable to guarantee its subsistence. This situation of prosperity was prolonged over time, in large part thanks to donations and privileges in its favour, many of them made by the families of the nuns who professed, one of the rules of the community established that they had to be daughters of the nobility. In 1343 the mortal remains of saint Daniel was found, and with the aim of revitalising the cult of his relics, in 1345 the Master Aloi was commissioned to build a sepulchre, which was placed in the crypt.

The Council of Trent gave rise to a wave of reform that affected the monastic world, especially the women's houses and their enclosure. From 1578 onwards, the internal rules of the house were modified in accordance with the new situation. Until then, the nuns had lived in the monastery with certain comforts, such as having private rooms and servants, but from that time onwards the conditions became stricter and, among other modifications, obliged the nuns to maintain community life and take measures regarding enclosure.

In 1881 and from this monastery of Sant Daniel, the new establishment of Sant Benet de Mataró was founded, which in 1952 merged with that of Sant Antoni i Santa Clara in Barcelona to form the new community of Sant Benet de Montserrat (Bages) where it maintains its activity. In 1936 the community left the monastery again because of the Spanish Civil War. The tomb of Saint Daniel was moved to the Museum of Girona and did not return until the end of the war in 1939, along with the nuns.