First published: 23/05/14.

Clyde 3.5

Vall De Boi

Vall de Boi (Inscribed)

Vall de Boi by Clyde

I visited this WHS in May 2014. It consists of series of 9 Catalan Romanesque Churches scattered in the Vall de Boi. The location of these churches in the high Pyrenees makes them very picturesque although quite difficult to visit without a car. However, if you decide to drive, bear in mind that you will be driving in countless hairpins, narrow roads and mountain passes for most of the time. Online I found a very good brochure of this WHS from the Centre Romanic in Erill la Vall (http://www.centreromanic.com/churches-opening-times-2014/fitxers/llibret_romanic_07_angles.pdf) with pointers on each church. Since I was driving from the Ordesa Valley, I decided to start with the Church in Coll. This is quite different from the rest of the churches and its main highlight is its carved entrance. To get to it I had to drive for 2.5km in a VERY narrow road (although paved) and since I arrived quite early in the morning I disturbed at least 5 deer along the way so I had to be extra careful and drive slowly to be on the safe side. Unfortunately this church together with the ones in Cardet, Barruera and Durro are usually closed unless there is a group of at least 20 people that make a request in advance to visit them. They don't have frescoes inside anymore although they contain colourful altarpieces. The church in Cardet and the Ermitage de Sant Quirc in Durro are quite similar and both are located at an altitude of 1600-2000m. I very much preferred the Ermitage though as it offers a magnificent panoramic view of the Vall de Boi and the surrounding mountains. The only sound you get to hear up there are the cow bells and the pleasant mountain breeze. The church in Barruera is the largest one in the Vall de Boi and its exterior is also the most beautiful in my opinion. In the village of Durro below the Ermitage, there is another church (Nativity) and I was very lucky to visit when it was open since there was a mass being celebrated inside. I quickly peeked inside and I immediately fell in love with the tiny interior and the very personal mass celebrated with only 2 elderly ladies attending. The colourful alterpiece and church furniture was a big bonus to see and my personal favourite was the colourful baptismal font close to the entrance. Next, I proceeded to Erill la Vall where I bought a combined ticket to be able to visit 3 churches + the centre romanic for 8 euros. The centre romanic is in Erill la Vall just behind the church and it offers an interesting overview of the Vall de Boi churches through various videos and information boards. Since it costs only 1e extra to visit if you buy the combined ticket, I think it is worthwhile visiting if you have the time. The churches in Erill la Vall and Taull all have similar bell towers, although I preferred the one of St Climent in Taull mostly because of its splendid location. Inside the church in Erill la Vall there are replicas of wooden figures such as Christ on the Cross, Nicodemus and the 2 thieves on the cross that are the highlight of this church. A small trivia pointer to look out for: one of the thieves is poking his tongue out! Next I visited the church in Boi which has replicas of beautiful colourful paintings on the north facade (exterior) and all over the church (inside). This is where you can best understand the function of the paintings and the original overall appearance of the Vall de Boi churches. Next I visited the Santa Maria Church in Taull which is free to visit and you can switch on the lights inside to illuminate the interior paintings and colourful altarpiece. The reproduction on the central apse depicts a scene from the Epiphany and it is perhaps the second best painting after the one in the church of St Climent. Both were removed using a technique called "strappo" and can now be seen in the MNAC museum in Barcelona. However, the replicas inside the actual church are worthwhile viewing as they are well made and mostly because its easier to appreciate the overall beauty and architecture of these churches. This church is located in the middle of the village of Taull and its the only one in the valley that seems to have resulted in houses being built around it. I planned to visit the St Climent church in Taull as the last church on purpose as it is rightly known as the most beautiful church of all the churches in the Vall de Boi. Well, it didn't disappoint! The exterior is very well kept and the bell tower is worth climbing to enjoy a spectacular view of Taull and the mountain peaks. However the highlight of this church is undoubtedly its interior with an original mural painting of Cain killing Abel and a mindboggling central apse. The video mapping shows a constant image of Christ in the central apse and every 30 minutes (from 10.30 to 13:30 and from 16:00 to 18:30) a video mapping film is projected on the central apse depicting the exact replica of the famous church paintings. It really renders the sheer beauty of the paintings and it helps you appreciate what would have happened to the original paintings had they not been removed and kept in a protected environment for everyone to enjoy. Overall I spent 2 days exploring the Vall de Boi by car and on foot and I really think that this is one of Spain's Top WHS.

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