Ex voto

The R3 route from Barcelona up to the French border at Latour-de-Carol passes through Ripoll, famed for being the last resting place of Catalan hero Wilfred the Hairy. It's a nice town to wander around - an old town in the foothills of the Pyrenees that made it's name manufacturing arms from local iron ore deposits - it's never lost its place in the hard-headed practical world of business and is still an industrial centre.

The ethnographic museum does a good job of telling the story of the town but there's one exhibit in particular that brings something of the old world to life.

It's a tradition in the Catholic world to commission an artist to paint an 'ex voto' (short for 'ex voto suscepto' - latin for 'from the vow made'). It's picture to give thanks to a senior member of the heavens for helping out with things down here on earth.

Over the years it's proved a great source of inspiration (and revenue) to artists like Titian who conjured up his masterpiece in thanks for retaking of Santa Maura from the Ottomans and Bellini's Barbarigo alterpiece giving thanks for a promotion at work.

But as well as commissions by the great and good, more humble folk also got a chance to give thanks.

The collection of ex voto paintings at the Ethnographic Museum at Ripoll records the glimpses of poor souls in their times of greatest anguish and the subsequent gratitude for the help from on high.

Each one tells a story.

The sense of helplessness at a time of tragedy

Asking for help from on high, whilst getting practical from those around.

The rest of the story of these people's lives is a blank - all we have are these vignettes of people now long gone.

For this treasure, maybe we should be giving thanks to the artists. But how?

Next to the museum is the monastery with Wilfred the Hairy's tomb and around the corner is the scriptorium - all worth a wander before heading towards (or away from) the Pyrenees. =

Practical info

Details of museum opening hours are here: https://www.museuderipoll.org/

Getting there

Ripoll is on the R3 line between Barcelona and Latour de Carol on the French/Spanish border.

Here is a summary of travelling here on the night train from Paris.