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Then, they have taken their cameras, zooms and binoculars and have headed towards the Mont-rebei Gorge, a spectacularly wonderful and unique natural space located between Pallars Jussà, La Noguera and Baixa Ribagorça, this in the part known as the Franja, the territories of Catalan language and culture that are part of Aragon. The journey was spectacular and the three friends have enjoyed another of their great hobbies: ornithology.
In the middle of the Vall d'Àger, high on a hill stands the ancient canonry of Sant Pere, one of the most important sites of the Catalan Romanesque. Surrounded by a wall and situated in a strategic point that dominates the entirety of the valley, its stones bear evidence to a part of the history of the Christian conquest.
The origin of the site is found in the castle erected by the Arabs. The vall d'Àger, like the majority of the territories in Lleida, was under Islamic control at the beginning of the 8th century. It wasn't until the end of the 11th century that the Christians, commanded by Arnau Mir de Tost, occupied the fortification.
Arnau Mir and his wife Arsenda converted the castle into their political centre and residence and ordered the construction of the church of Sant Pere, soon housing a community of canonries.
The building that formed the ancient canonry exemplifies diverse styles, transformations and constructions: the major church, with an older part that shaped the crypt, the Romanesque cloister that in the 14th century was substituted for a Gothic cloister under the orders of Pere I, Count of Urgell, and Gothic dependencies, renovated in some cases to match new styles, like the Renaissance refectory.
After a time of splendor, largely due to the privilege of Episcopal exemption, the Sant Pere de Àger went into decline in the 15th century due to the depopulation of the Vall d'Àger and the war against Joan II. The 16th century marked the secularisation of the abbey which was later converted into a collegiate church. The canonry didn’t resist the passage of time and was crumbling from the devastation of wars, sieges and pillaging, the Segadors, the war of Sucession and the Peninsular War, among others.
Sant Pere is a fortified site with Romanesque and Neogothic touches, erected in the 11th century by Arnau Mir de Tost, leader of the county of Urgell. With this operation the leader wanted to obtain political and religious power at the same time, creating canonical site that would directly depend on the Holy See.
The foundations rest on the remains of a Roman castle, subsequently seized and also reconverted by the Arabs. The site was built during the 11th century: the castle-palace and the collegiate church, which was managed by a canonical order.
In the church we can still see the section with the three naves headed by three apses, although this basilical layout was incorporated in later works. The bell tower dates back to the 12th century, and took the defensive style of the site due to strategic recommendations, for the site bordered the Arab part of Catalunya. The building works of the church's cloister, initiated by Count Pere Urgell, took place between the 14th and the 15th centuries.
Important relics of the rich interior decoration are still preserved, such as ornaments and Romanesque mural paintings, in the Museu Diocesà de Lleida, in the Catalonia National Art Museum and in the United States.
It must be added that the sculptures are also noteworthy, and they follow the same style lines as those in the Barcelona Cathedral.
More information: Turisme d'Àger
The Mont-rebei Gorge is a place that is part of the Noguera Ribagorçana-Mont Rebei Partial Natural Reserve. It is located on the border between Aragon and Catalunya. To the west, is the Baixa Ribagorça (Franja) and to the east the Pallars Jussà and the Noguera (Catalunya). It is formed in the narrowest part where the Noguera Ribagorçana river crosses the Montsec mountain range.
On the south-eastern side, it belongs to the municipality of Àger, in La Noguera; on the north-eastern side, to Sant Esteve de la Sarga, in Pallars Jussà. On the western side, it belongs to the municipality of Viacamp i Lliterà, in Baixa Ribagorça.
It is a place of undoubted ecological value for the wild fauna that it houses, among which birds of prey should be highlighted, and for the beauty of its rugged landscape. It is very attractive for climbers and speleologists, as there are excellent walls and a cave such as La Colomera. The maintenance of the reserve is in charge of the Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera.
It can be reached by road from the Montanyana and Sant Esteve de la Sarga bridges to the north, and from Àger to the south. There is an unguarded public car park located on the plain formed by the eastern bank, just north of the gorge. There is an information hut and in the summer educational talks are held there.
On the Aragonese side, the right bank of the river, north of the gorge, is dominated by the tower of Girbeta Castle and two Romanesque churches: Nostra Senyora del Congost and Nostra Senyora del Congost Vella, the latter in ruins.
On the Catalan side, the passage through the gorge is made entirely by a path dug into the rock, and in some places by tunnel. It should be remembered that this path is located at high altitude and does not have a railing, so it is not recommended for children or those who suffer from vertigo. To the south, the path gains altitude and runs along the slopes of the mountain until you can see the reservoir.
The Mont-rebei Gorge is, without a doubt, one of the most unique natural spaces in the Pre-Pyrenees, both from a landscape point of view, as it is the only large gorge free of infrastructure, and for its great biodiversity.
Several interesting faunal species live there. Among the birds, there are many large birds of prey typical of the cliffs: the bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), the sable (Neophron percnopterus), the griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), as well as the yellow-billed jackdaw (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) and red-billed jackdaw (Pyrrhocorax graculus) and the rockhopper (Tichodroma muraria). Among the mammals, there is the common otter (Lutra lutra), the wildcat (Felis silvestris), the marten (Martes martes), the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), the mole (Talpa europaea) and numerous species of bats.
More information: Bald Hiker
cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.
E. O. Wilson
