Lleida

During the 11^th  and 12^th centuries, a set of churches were built in the Vall de Boí following a model from northern Italy: the Lombard Romanesque. Slender bell towers, careful stone work, decorated exteriors with blind arcades and Lombard bands... This unity of architectural style has characterised these temples and this year marks twenty-five years since they were recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
 
The Romanesque complex of the Vall de Boi is made up of the churches of Sant Climent and Santa Maria de Taull, Sant Joan de Boí, Santa Eulàlia d’Erill la Vall, Sant Feliu de Barruera, la Nativitat de Durro, Santa Maria de Cardet, Assumpció de Cóll and the hermitage of Sant Quirc de Durro.
 
The church of Sant Climent de Taüll is perhaps one of the best known as it has the image of Christ in Majesty of Taüll which has made it renowned and has been used to represent the Catalan Romanesque. Although the original now stands in the National Museum of Art of Catalonia (MNAC), you can still see a section of the deep layer of the original in the temple along with other fragments of original painting, a highlight being the scene of Cain and Abel, as well as an image recreation of what the apse was like in the 12^th century.
 
Out of these churches, Santa Maria de Cardet has one of the most spectacular apses of the set. It’s also the only one with a belfry, a result of the baroque transformations that it underwent over time.
 
For a truly immersive experience and to travel back in time, visiting the Romanesque Centre of Vall de Boí, in Erill la Vall, is a real must. Thanks to the virtual reality experience The eyes of history, you can delve into the art and history of these temples while also discovering the nature, religion and medieval society that shaped this exceptional heritage.
 
You can round off your visit with hiking trails that frame art in the nature that hosts it. There are routes that run along historical paths and connect the villages in the valley, even some abandoned ones, allowing you to enjoy the beauty of the landscape all year round. And after all that walking, there’s nothing better than relaxing in the Caldes de Boí Balneari Thermal Resort. Located at an altitude of 1470 metres, it has 37 thermal springs.


A proposal brought to you in collaboration with Descobrir magazine. 

The town of Sort, steeped in Pyrenean culture, is the starting point for our getaway. In this small town nestled in the Pallars Sobirà, you simply must visit the Presó-Museu Camí de la Llibertat, a museum space that tells of the odyssey of those who crossed the Pyrenean mountains, fleeing Nazism during the Second World War.
 
On the outskirts of Sort, we find the parish church of Sant Germà, which stands on high in the abandoned village of Pernui, located 1,027 metres above sea level. It’s a small church, with a rectangular nave and bell tower. And in the village of Montardit de Baix, in the municipality of Sort, the hermitage of Mare de Déu del Soler, a building of Romanesque origin, is also well worth visiting.
 
Leaving Sort behind us, next, we’ll head for Llavorsí, a small village made up of slate roofs where the houses are staggered across the steep slopes that give form to its streets and centred by the square where the church dedicated to Santa Anna stands. Within its municipal boundaries, located on top of a small hill, we find the remains of the castle of Gilareny, the last stronghold of the county of Pallars.
 
We continue our getaway by moving towards Escaló, where we can visit Sant Pere del Burgal, an old monastery which became a female Benedictine abbey at the end of the 10th century, and which shortly afterwards went on to become a male priory. Its remains are located to the left of the Noguera Pallaresa and to the right of the gorge of Sant Pere.
 
We then move to Saurí, a small town known for the paintings in the church of Sant Víctor de Saurí, by Santi Moix. Works of art that have placed the town among the international panorama of contemporary art. Nearby, we also find the village of Bernui, where we can visit the Romanesque church of Santa Maria de Bernui.
 
Finally, we round off our getaway in Gerri de la Sal, a medieval village that preserves a fantastic historical heritage. This village is home to a sample of the Catalan Romanesque at its best, the monastery of Santa Maria, of which now only the church with the atrium or entrance portico remains. You can reach it by taking the 11th-century Romanesque bridge which crosses the Noguera Pallaresa. Also, in this municipality, we find the Presó de Gerri Tower, a medieval defence tower dating from the 13th century.

In sight of the last events, the Government adopts new additional measures of prevention and control of the infection for the SARS-CoV-2, and adopts the closure of the archives, museums, monuments and archaeological sites of Catalonia.

This measure responds at the aim to avoid the increment of risk of contagion for part of the visitors and users, as well as of the workers of the centres.

These measures are currently in action from today March 13 2020 and for a minimum of 15 days, being susceptible of review at coherence with the epidemiological situation of each moment.