This is a former Benedictine monastery that is located on the opposite bank of the Noguera Pallaresa and south of Escaló, marking the southern limit of the valley of Àneu. It was first documented around the year 859, when its abbot, Deligat, received the privilege of immunity from the count Rampó of Tolosa. When it lost this status, it was passed to Gerri (before 908) and to La Grassa (before 948), a transfer that was the result of litigation. From 948 to 960 the monastery was used as a convent. From 950 onwards, it was associated with La Grassa (with numerous properties in bordering valleys); it was the priory of La Grassa from the end of the 11th century until 1337, the year in which this important monastery was handed over to Gerri, in exchange for maintaining many of the properties of El Burgal. In 1557 it was secularised, although it subsisted, at least nominally, until the Desamortizació (disentailment or sale of church lands) de Mendizábal (1835).


The original buildings were considerably modified during the 11th century. The original structure consisted of a basilical plan with three naves equipped with three apses decorated with Lombard arcades, facing towards the east, and a double headed apse, oriented towards the west. In more recent times, the central apse has been dedicated to Saint Peter. It is from this central apse and from the area that surrounds it that the interesting Romanesque sculptures of Sant Pere del Burgal originally come. They are currently conserved in the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya and attributed to the master of Pedret. The upper part of the structure was originally presided over by a great Christ in majesty (of which there now remains only one foot) flanked by the prophets (though only two complete figures now remain). In the second part, between the large windows, there were three pairs of figures formed by saints (Peter, Paul, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and a sixth, unidentified character) and Mary. In the inferior half, and decorated with a border, there is a particularly interesting feminine figure represented between curtains. This bears the title of the Countess Lucia and is the first time that the figure of a woman donor appears; countess Lucia of Marca, who was the second wife of Artau I of Pallars Sobirà (sister of Almodis and mother of the holy bishop Ot d'Urgell). This information helps us to date the paintings from towards the end of the 11th century or from the beginning of the 12th century (Artau passed away in 1081). In 1983, a paving elaborated with rounded stones was found just in front of Sant Pere.