The remains of the Cistercian monastery of Santa Maria (Saint Mary) de les Franqueses de Balaguer are located about 4.5 km to the south of Balaguer in the midst of an extensive area irrigated by the Cup irrigation channel, on the right bank of the river Segre.


This monastery was founded in 1186, in accordance with the wishes of Dolça de Foix, Countess of Urgell and widow of Count Ermengol VII. This followed a general tradition of the period (the second half of the 12th century) to found monasteries assigned to the Cistercian order.


The only remaining parts of the original monastery are the temple and part of the cellar wall, which are quite difficult to recognise. Even so, there are quite clear signs of other elements that once formed part of the monastery site and it is thought that it should be possible to recover some of these should through a serious archaeological dig.


This is a rather austere Romanesque building , with a cross-shaped plan and three apses, although only one of them is visible from the exterior. The nave is covered by a pointed barrel vault. Immediately after the apse there is a transept. This contains the Capella de l’Evangeli (Gospel Chapel) a body protrudes from the wall which is reminiscent of a funeral scene. Above this element, there is a large rose window, which is generally regarded as the most characteristic element of the temple. The other chapel in the transept, the Capella de l’Epístola, there is another body in a funeral pose and a window.


In the south wall of the nave, between the transept and the frontispiece, there is a second door from the church to the, no longer present, monastery cloister. The main door was the one facing west, which is still virtually intact. Above this door, it is possible to observe the remains of what was probably once a large window (during the Gothic period), but which was adversely affected by the subsequent construction of a balcony.


Construction of this building probably began in the last quarter of the 12th century, with additional parts of the structure being added in during the 13th century and until the 15th century. The slow development of the building is suggested by what would seem to be a series of openings and mouldings associated with the second quarter of the 13th century (the rose window) and probably the first quarter of the 14th century (the main door, Gothic window and western facade).