The Romanesque Path, a cross-border route of the Pyrenean Romanesque route, runs transversely from Perpignan, in the region of Rosselló in northern Catalonia, to Bassella, at the southern limit of the Alt Urgell. This route crosses the counties of Rosselló, Conflent, Cerdanya and Alt Urgell; that is, from the Mediterranean to the beginning of the western highlands. The route first follows the valley of the river Tet and then connects with the valley of the Segre, in the form of a natural corridor with the only orographic obstacle of the Coll de la Perxa.
The Pyrenean area that includes the Romanesque Path is a territory with very similar physical characteristics and has common cultural roots that date back to the early Middle Ages. The current border line along the Pyrenees has little to do with the political divisions of the time. Regions on both sides of the mountain range maintain strong ties, both in lineage, feudal and religious administration, and in human and commercial relations. We speak, therefore, of the same culture, the vestiges of which have survived to the present day, expressed in hundreds of Romanesque monuments. It is, therefore, a monumental set quite homogeneous and at the same time rich in nuances, unique and attractive, covering a perfectly defined Pyrenean area.
The religious architecture of the High Middle Ages in Cerdanya lacks great works and presents a fairly unitary set of small buildings where some examples stand out such as the old canonry of Santa Maria de Talló or the parish church of Sant Pere d’Alp. The architectural renovation of the 11th century introduced very simple Lombard forms in La Cerdanya, which led to many buildings lacking decoration. However, certain purely Lombard decorative elements are quite common in the region.
This trend lasted until the end of the c. XII, which is characterized by a continuity and the renovation of some buildings. The previous wooden beamed roofs will be replaced by barrel vaults made of masonry and the facings will be reinforced with former arches. There is also a refinement and refinement in the work of the stone, as well as a change in the ornamental motifs with the presence of sculpture on the portals and windows.
The religious representations are basically in wood carving and focus on Christ in Majesty and the Virgin Mary. The cult of the crucifixion spread between the 11th and 12th centuries, but it will not last, which has led to the fact that few have survived to the present day; not so the cult of Mary, the devotion to which it has been extended to all the churches of the county to the present day, a fact for which many images have been preserved. The iconographic type of these is quite unitary, from the 12th century to the 15th century. Few vestiges of mural painting are preserved, which, except for a few samples in the French-administered Cerdanya, can be found in different museums.
You can get to know all the Romanesque churches in the region by following each of the itineraries we suggest in the Romanesque Path brochure.
In addition, in the tourist office of La Cerdanya, we have for sale a book where it explains in detail each church of the Romanesque Path of Cerdanya.
