St. Paul is one of the prominent towns of the Natural Park of Volcanic Zone Garrotxa, has a significant historical, and that is remarkable both for the town as the architectural beauty of the landscape. Surroundings you can admire the magnificent Fageda d'en Jordà (a beech woods rooted in lava) or a series of old craters of volcanoes perfectly integrated with the greenery of the valley.
The village of Santa Pau is located in the southeast of the Olot plain, a 9 kms from the capital of the Garrotxa. Nestled in the heart of Volcanic Area, The village is in the midst of the valley between the mountains of St. Julià del Mont . Sta Maria de Finestres, a 496 m above sea level.
Nucli històric medieval
The first that stands out from Santa Pau is the center of the Vila Vella, enclosure that has been declared a historic-artistic. The large farmhouse or castell of Santa Pau, that was the wall to the southwest is the oldest building in the town, with the front porch in the triangular square, called El Firal dels Bous, magnificent example of ancient architecture: the arches of the arcades are different from each other, pointed or round (a pair of arches and a gate were reproduced in the Poble Espanyol de Barcelona)
The square or Firal dels Bous is a porticoed square dominated by the church (s.XV-XVI). The houses are set adjacent to the old wall. The square is the heart of the town and owes its name of Fira dels Bous for being the place where markets and fairs were held.
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Land of volcanoes and beeches.
A large part of the municipality of Santa Pau, of 48,80 km ², part of the Natural Park of Volcanic Zone Garrotxa and owns a group of ancient volcanoes (dated between 15000 a.C and he 9000 a.C) that are the most important in the area: Puigmartinyà, Santa Margarida i Puigsubià (of which emerged an important basalt flow that has grown over the imposing Fageda de'n Jordà (Beech), and spread through La Vall del Ser ( Valley name)), Croscat, of the Roureda Colltort (or Fageda d'en Bassols), Roca Negra and others.
It comprises the headwaters of the Riu Ser, river that is formed at the Font Pobre and gets a number of torrents coming down from the west volcanoes from the term of Sant Julià del Mont. Between volcanic rocks and ancient lava flows formed pools and stunning waterfalls like Can Batlle.
Santa Pau's FESOL (beans), gastronomic jewel.
The Santa Pau beans are famous for their quality and appreciated by small size, glad i fins. These pulses are small, shaped force arronyonada and very thin skin. A cop cuits, flavorful in the mouth are, with a very fine texture, gens the powdery molt tova. It is usually sown in the first week of June in the second half of July, and the harvest is in September. The highlight for your taste is for the “fesolada” held per the Fira de Sant Antoni, the gener, and several restaurants that promote population.