Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
| Location | Vall de Boí, Alta Ribagorça, Province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain |
| Includes | |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iv) |
| Reference | 988 |
| Inscription | 2000 (24th Session) |
| Area | 7.98 ha (19.7 acres) |
| Buffer zone | 3,562 ha (8,800 acres) |
| Coordinates | 42°30′17″N 0°48′13″E / 42.50472°N 0.80361°E |
The Churches of the Vall de Boí are a set of nine Early Romanesque churches declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO and located in the Vall de Boí, in the Catalan comarca of Alta Ribagorça (Province of Lleida).
Built between the 11th and 12th centuries, as a group, these churches represent an especially pure and consistent example of pictorial art and architecture in the Lombard Romanesque style and were unusual for the richness of their interior paintings. They are the largest concentration in Europe of Romanesque art and a unique example of 12th century Catalonian cultural traditions.
In the early 20th century, a major effort to study the interior pictorial decoration was undertaken, resulting in their protection in law and their removal to the National Museum of Catalan Art (MNAC) in Barcelona and replacing them with in-situ reproductions.