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A little further up from El Pont de Suert, the capital of this local district, and near the confluence of the rivers Noguera Ribagorçana and Noguera de Tor, visitors should break off to the right and follow the road that runs beside the latter and climbs up to one of the most highly regarded landscapes in Catalonia, which is well worth the effort of seeing, no matter how far it is necessary to travel in order to see it. The scenery in question is enough to fill the soul of any traveller with happiness. Castelló de Tor (L'Alta Ribagorça - Spain) is the first village that walkers will encounter when they leave the road from El Pont de Suert to La Val d'Aran and follow the narrower path that leads in the direction of the Vall de Boí. Near the village, but on the opposite bank of the river – which can be crossed via a marvellous medieval bridge – there is what used to be an important water-driven flour mill. However, the most important feature for the local faithful was the Old Hermitage or Santuary of Remei, which forms part of a very beautiful set of buildings. Next to it, we find the Remei Bridge, which was built to overcome the natural obstacle of the river Noguera de Tor. This bridge was constructed in the 12th century, at the same time that the churches were built in the valley. The second work that forms part of this set of buildings is the old hermitage. The building, which dates back to the mid-18th century, was specifically dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is not possible to provide a description of the original structure, as it was knocked down in order to make way for a new building on the same site. Access to the building is via a small path that starts just at the beginning of the village. Visitors can park their cars and it is then just a five minute walk to the site. It is possible to visit the hermitage at any time of day as the building is always unlocked. Source and photographic archive: JOAN BELLMUNT I FIGUERAS
Located at an altitude of 1263 metres, Boí (L’Alta Ribagorça - Spain) is a village whose Romanesque style Church of Sant Joan is a building of striking beauty. It is also said to be the oldest of the surviving temples in the valley. Approaching the village by road, visitors will see a signpost indicating Boí of to the right, but they should follow the road to the left for another three kilometres in order to reach the Shrine to the Mother of God (Virgin Mary) of Caldes. The shrine, which is located at an altitude of 1470 metres, stands on the left bank of the river Noguera de Tor (which is also known as the river Caldes) and lies beneath the Comaloformo peak and near the confluence of the river with the Sallent gorge. The Church of the Mother of God of Caldes was built right next to the original Roman spa in the High Middle Ages. The devotion to this Mother of God is not exclusively limited to the people of Boí, but extends throughout the valley and even to quite distant villages. According to legend, it was at the end of the 14th century that a cowherd from Boí observed how a bull from his herd used to leave every morning and disappear into the mountains. The cowherd followed it one day and watched where it went and what it did and this is how he discovered a cavity in a tree trunk with an image of the Virgin Mary. Little could that cowherd have imagined, when he discovered that image of the Virgin Mary, that this site would become one of the most popular tourist centres in the area and attract visitors from both near and far. The three attractions that draw visitors to this beautiful corner of the Pyrenees are: the Virgin of Caldes and the shrine dedicated to her, the area’s outstanding natural beauty, and the local thermal waters. This location now receives thousands of visitors every year. At one particular moment in the 20th century (during the Spanish Civil War), there was destruction all around and Caldes and its image of the Mother of God were not spared from its consequences. The present image of the Virgin is consequently a polychromatic copy of the original which was made by the Barcelona sculptor Camp Arnau in 1940. In 1943, the Bishop of Urgell came to the shrine to bless both it and the pictures paintings of the main altar (works by Lairisa, 1943). The lateral paintings were done in 1948, which confirmed a return to the splendour that the shrine had always historically enjoyed. There is a good-sized parking area at the site. It is possible to visit the shrine, which is open all day (while the weather is good), and it is also possible to walk around the surrounding area. Source and photographic archive: JOAN BELLMUNT I FIGUERAS
The village of Vilaller (L’Alta Ribagorça - Spain) stands on top of a rocky hill at an altitude of 981 m. It occupies a position on the left bank of the river Noguera Ribagorçana, right next to the road that runs from El Pont de Suert to Vielha. The buildings of the old nucleus offer visitors an insight into the different construction styles used throughout its history. The Shrine of Riupedrós which is dedicated to the image of the Virgin Mary, is located about 800 metres from the village of Vilaller. It stands on the right-hand bank of the river Noguera Ribagorçana, at the water side, and is the site of the summer seminary of the Bishop of Lleida. It was constructed by Bishop Del Pino in 1960. The shrine was first mentioned in a document dating from the year 955, signed by "Senterio de Riuo Petroso". This leads us to the conclusion that the image of Our Lady of Reperós was already venerated in the Barravés valley as early as the 10th century. According to Father Faci, the original temple was pre-Romanesque or Romanesque in style. The church had capacity for 400 people. Next to the shrine there was a house with sufficient space to house the companions of Our Lady, when they celebrated either a large-scale gathering or a general meeting. The shrine gradually deteriorated towards the end of the 18th century as a consequence of wars and its use as a barracks for troops and a military store. Other problems arose as a result of leaks and the disentailment of goods belonging to the church in the first third of the 19th century. Even so, the building remained in use until 1975. It was really since the construction of the diocesan summer seminary in 1960 that the things got worse, because the shrine was then used as a warehouse for storing building materials. The shrine was eventually demolished using dynamite, but even to this day, many of the inhabitants of Vilaller cannot understand why it was knocked down. On 4th June 1978, the new hermitage was blessed and formally inaugurated: it was rebuilt on the same site as the previous structure. The building that can be visited today is the small hermitage of Riupedrós. Visitors can drive right up to the site of the hermitage (and see the interior through a grill). Having passed Vilaller, they should turn off to the left and past the bridge over the river Noguera Ribagorçana. Alternatively, they can leave their vehicles at Vilaller and enjoy a (very pleasant) 800 m walk to the hermitage following the river. Source and photographic archive: JOAN BELLMUNT I FIGUERAS
