Photos of the Catalan Romanesque Sant Climent de Taüll Boí

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Photos of the Beautiful Catalan Romanesque Sant Climent de Taüll in the Pyrenees Mountains, Vall de Boí Spain. Photos by photographer Paul E Williams. (TIP – use the icons below the slideshow for thumbnail photos and info)

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Photos of the Beautiful Catalan Romanesque Sant Climent de Taüll, Vall de Boí, Spain

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Photos of the Beautiful Catalan Romanesque Sant Climent de Taüll, Vall de Boí, Spain

The remote Pyrenees Vall de Boí

High amongst the central Spanish Pyrenees mountains of the Alta Ribagorca in the Vall de Boí nestles the mountain village of Taüll. For hundreds of years the community that lives and farmed these mountains were left alone guarded from the outside world by their remoteness. This protected the Romanesque style churches built in the valley between the 7th and 12th centuries from outside influences. The architecture and art of the Romanesque churches of the Vall de Boí remained unchanged for hundreds of years.

Discovering the Romanesque art of Sant Climent de Taüll

It was not until 1907 during a Pyrenean expedition by the Institut d’Estudis Catalan (Institute of Catalan Studies) that their art treasures were discovered. After their finding were published in a book foreign museums and collectors started to buy the Romanesque art of the Pyrenees. To stop this loss of Catalan art abroad, in 1919 the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) was able to successfully intervene in order to rescue the frescoes of Sant Clement de Taull. The Romanesque fresco paintings that survived were carefully removed and are now housed in the MNAC in Barcelona.

Sant Climent de Taüll Lombard Romanesque Design

One of the best examples of the Vall de Boí Romanesque churches is Sant Clement de Taull. It is the largest in the Val de Boi and its characteristic Lombard architecture and interior decoration make it the symbol of Catalan Romanesque architecture.

Sant Climent de Taüll Impressive Bell Tower

Its most imposing feature is its Lombard style bell tower: it is square in plan and its arcades soar up six storeys. It makes a splendid site se against the slopes of the Pyrenees mountains behind.

The church is a basilica plan structure. It has three naves (each of them with a terminal apse), and large columned arches separating the naves. The whole church would have been decorated with fresco paintings.

Sant Climent de Taüll Fresco Paintings

The frescoes at Sant Climent de Taüll are characteristic of Catalan Romanesque art and are influenced by Byzantine Roman Iconography conventions.

Christ Pantocrator

In the apse above the altar is a fresco the Theophany which consist of Christ In Majesty or Christ Pantocrator. Christ is seated in an upright eye shaped madorla. In his left hand he holds an open bible. His right hand is raised making a blessing. In the Byzantine Eastern Orthodox tradition his thumb should be touching his third finger so making the Chi Rho symbol which means “To Christ”. The Western church started to loose this and make the gesture more open. This can be seen in the hand of the Sant Climent de Taüll Pantocrator.

Around Christ are frescoes of the four evangelists, Mathew depicted as a man, Mark as a lion, Luke as a Bull and John as an Eagle. Below this are frescoes of the Virgin Mary and the Apostles.

In front of this are two triumphal arches. At the top of the first is a fresco of the “hand of God” (Dextra Domina) and at the top of the second is a fresco of the “Lamb of God (Agnus Dei). The Agnus Dei is a mystic lamb that is presented as having seven eyes and holds a book. On the left side of the same arc, there are scenes of Lazarus, who expresses grief while a dog licks his wounds at the door of a rich man.

Columns support the arcades and the wooden beams of the roof of the church. The first column on the north side of the church near the apse has the inscription of the consecration of the church. This document is painted with white letters on red and black background and is now preserved in the National Museum of Catalan Art.

Even though the original frescoes have been removed, today Sant Climent de Taüll has wonderful replicas of the originals for visitors to enjoy.