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Cova de l'Ermita de la Vansa

Cova de l'Ermita de la Vansa

Cova obrada de 13 metres de fondo al barranc de Fontfreda (Vilanova de Meià).

Vilanova de Meià • Noguera13m1m

A 13-metre-deep excavated cave at the barranc de Fontfreda, in Tòrrec, municipality of Vilanova de Meià, preceded by the ruins of an 11th-century Romanesque hermitage.

Characteristics

Location

Situated in Tòrrec, belonging to the municipality of Vilanova de Meià, at the point where the weighbridge is located, just opposite a track comes out; soon we will find a turn-off and we must follow it to the left. After a little more than half a kilometre, the track makes a series of bends and descends to the barranc de les Planes; the track continues parallel to the ravine, going back up it. Just after crossing it, we will follow a path on the left that follows the ravine along the other bank, but now in the same direction as the water flow. We go around a rocky spur where some water pipes are visible and descend towards the barranc de Fontfreda following the path on the left; from this point the balma de la Vansa can already be seen. We cross the ravine and follow the path that at first seems to head towards the barranc de la Tartera; the path gains height and enters the barranc de Fontfreda on the left (hydrographic right). About 50 metres before reaching the cova de la Vansa, we find a small path on the left that climbs towards the base of the cliff, where we will find the ruins of the hermitage and the cave.

Mapa

Entrances

Always verify coordinates and access conditions before setting out.

  1. Cova de l' Ermita de la Vansa

    Elevation: 509 m

    41.991544, 1.074100
    UTM 31T (ED 50) 340571 4650835
Download all entrances as GPX

Photos

Cova de l'Ermita de la Vansa - Photo, Vilanova de Meià, NogueraView image
Click to enlarge

Espeleoindex · CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ · Image © its author.

Image 1 of 4

Description

Morphology

It is a cave in the form of a hall 13x12 metres in diameter and 2 metres high.

Progression

The access to it is preceded by the ruins of an 11th-century Romanesque hermitage (Mare de Déu de Gràcia or Santa Maria de la Vansa), of which it formed part. Currently, and due to the collapse of the hermitage, access to the cave is direct; when the hermitage was standing, access must have been from inside the hermitage by means of some stairs that are still preserved.

History

The oldest reference to the existence of the Hermitage and consequently of the cave dates from the year 1391, although its construction corresponds to the 11th century, with Gothic additions.

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Bibliography

  1. Cortés i Ribelles, Manuel.(1984).- El Montsec i Muntanyes Veïnes. Centre Excursionista de Lleida.
  2. Escolà i Boada, Oleguer (1970).- “Catálogo Espeleológico del Montsec”. Espeleòleg (11-12):453-541. ERE del CEC. Barcelona.
  3. Reig,Joan; Aymamí,Gener; Peidró,Eliseo.(1998).-”Baronia de Lavansa: Romànic i trogloditisme amb incògnites”. Excursionisme (270):230-236. UEC. Barcelona.
  4. Vega, Josep de la. (1981).-”Aplec de documents arqueològics de les coves del Montsec i llur projecció a les comarques i serres properes”. Mediterrània (12): 1-359.

Source: Espeleoindex (espeleoindex.com), modified. CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/