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Assumpció de Cóll
Photo: Ainhoa from Catalunya, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Santa Maria de Cóll, now dedicated to the Assumption, is the Romanesque parish church in the village of Cóll. Possibly linked to a Benedictine monastery and Santa Maria d'Alaó, a slate inscription confirms its 1110 consecration. 1970s restoration by Dirección General de Bellas Artes rebuilt the roof and added a concrete perimeter wall to prevent cracks. This unitary 12th-century Romanesque church has a single nave with barrel vault divided into three sections by transverse arches, one supported by semicylindrical pilasters with simple capitals. The eastern semicircular apse features a quarter-sphere vault.
Santa Maria de Cóll is a Romanesque church in Cóll in the municipality of Vall de Boí, Catalonia, Spain. It was consecrated in the year 1110. It became a Bien de Interés Cultural site in 1992, and in 2000 it was declared part of the Vall de Boí UNESCO World Heritage Site.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Walk along the right bank of the river from Barruera toward the dam to reach a scenic viewpoint with sweeping vistas of the village.Salencar (Barruera) is designated an Area of Natural Interest within the European Natura 2000 network. This wetland serves as a vital biological corridor and stopover for migratory birds traveling from northern Europe to southern regions. Exploring Salencar reveals nature's remarkable ability to adapt to both natural processes and human interventions—like the Cardet Dam constructed in the 1950s, which formed a river barrier where sediments accumulated. Over time, this fostered typical wetland vegetation, including lush reed beds that now define the landscape.
Mirador de Santa Maria de Cardet
This viewpoint offers easy access below the dramatic apse of Santa Maria de Cardet, one of Vall de Boí's standout Romanesque gems. Nestled on a rugged hillside, the church masterfully adapts to the slope with a unique semi-basement crypt—the sole example among the valley's UNESCO-listed Romanesque churches. Enjoy breathtaking panoramas of Barruera village and the expansive Salencar natural surroundings.
Great views of the whole Boí Valley