Vall de Núria
Encyclopedia
La Vall de Núria is a south-opening valley coming down from the crest of the Pyrenees
within the municipality
of Queralbs
, province
of Girona
, community
of Catalonia
, Spain
. The floor of the valley lies about 2000 metres above sea level, and is accessible from the south via a rack railway
(the Vall de Núria Rack Railway
) or by foot, and from France
to the north by footpaths. There are no roads to access the valley. The place is historically notable for the 1931 drafting of the first Catalan Statute of Autonomy
, in the Sanctuary
of the Virgin of Núria.
(Catalan
: Sant Gil) arrived in the valley in approximately 700 AD and lived there for four years. He crafted an image of the Virgin Mary and later hid it in a cave when forced to flee from a Roman
persecution against Christians
. Along with the image of the Virgin, he left a pot used for cooking, a cross, and a bell for calling shepherds to meals.
Still according to tradition, a pilgrim
named Amadéu began searching for the image in 1072, after having a prophetic dream. He then built a small chapel for pilgrims, and found the image seven years later, next to the pot, the cross, and the bell, whereupon he brought the objects to the chapel to be venerated.
The image which is venerated at present has been dated to have been made during the twelfth or thirteenth century. It is a wooden Romanesque
carving. The primitive-looking polychrome statue still retains its painting intact.
The shepherds regarded this image of the Blessed Virgin as a patron saint of fertility. The canonical consecration
of Our Lady of Núria was in 1965. Her feast day is September 8.
in the valley operated by the same company which operates the Vall de Núria Rack Railway
.
The resort offers a total of 10 alpine ski
piste
s (three green, three blue, two red and two black ones), as well as a special slope for sleighs, totalling seven kilometres of marked pistes. In the Summer of 2006, 18 new snow cannons were installed, adding up to a total of 73 cannons.
As for ski lift
s, there is one quad chair lift going from the resort base at 1.964 m, up to its highest point, at 2.252 m.; two platter lift
s serving the beginners' area; and one gondola lift
(called "telecabina") granting access to the Pic de l'Àliga youth hostel.
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
within the municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of Queralbs
Queralbs
Queralbs is a municipality in the comarca of the Ripollès inCatalonia, Spain. It is situated in the Pyrenees to the north of Ribes de Freser, with thepeaks of Puigmal , Infern and Noufonts . Tourism and...
, province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Girona
Girona (province)
Girona is a province of north-eastern Spain, in the northern part of the autonomous community of Catalonia. It is bordered by the provinces of Barcelona and Lleida, and by France and the Mediterranean Sea....
, community
Autonomous communities of Spain
An autonomous community In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . The second article of the constitution recognizes the rights of "nationalities and regions" to self-government and declares the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation".Political power in Spain is...
of Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The floor of the valley lies about 2000 metres above sea level, and is accessible from the south via a rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
(the Vall de Núria Rack Railway
Vall de Núria Rack Railway
The Vall de Núria Rack Railway is a mountain railway line in the Pyrenees mountains in the north of the Catalonia region of Spain. The line connects Ribes de Freser with Queralbs and Vall de Núria...
) or by foot, and from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to the north by footpaths. There are no roads to access the valley. The place is historically notable for the 1931 drafting of the first Catalan Statute of Autonomy
Statute of Autonomy
Nominally, a Statute of Autonomy is a law hierarchically located under the constitution of a country, and over any other form of legislation...
, in the Sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
of the Virgin of Núria.
The Virgin of Núria
According to tradition, Saint GilesSaint Giles
Saint Giles was a Greek Christian hermit saint from Athens, whose legend is centered in Provence and Septimania. The tomb in the abbey Giles was said to have founded, in St-Gilles-du-Gard, became a place of pilgrimage and a stop on the road that led from Arles to Santiago de Compostela, the...
(Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
: Sant Gil) arrived in the valley in approximately 700 AD and lived there for four years. He crafted an image of the Virgin Mary and later hid it in a cave when forced to flee from a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
persecution against Christians
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Along with the image of the Virgin, he left a pot used for cooking, a cross, and a bell for calling shepherds to meals.
Still according to tradition, a pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
named Amadéu began searching for the image in 1072, after having a prophetic dream. He then built a small chapel for pilgrims, and found the image seven years later, next to the pot, the cross, and the bell, whereupon he brought the objects to the chapel to be venerated.
The image which is venerated at present has been dated to have been made during the twelfth or thirteenth century. It is a wooden Romanesque
Romanesque art
Romanesque art refers to the art of Western Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century, or later, depending on region. The preceding period is increasingly known as the Pre-Romanesque...
carving. The primitive-looking polychrome statue still retains its painting intact.
The shepherds regarded this image of the Blessed Virgin as a patron saint of fertility. The canonical consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
of Our Lady of Núria was in 1965. Her feast day is September 8.
Ski resort
There is a ski resortSki resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
in the valley operated by the same company which operates the Vall de Núria Rack Railway
Vall de Núria Rack Railway
The Vall de Núria Rack Railway is a mountain railway line in the Pyrenees mountains in the north of the Catalonia region of Spain. The line connects Ribes de Freser with Queralbs and Vall de Núria...
.
The resort offers a total of 10 alpine ski
Alpine Ski
Alpine Ski is an Alpine skiing arcade game, released by Taito in 1981.- Description :The player controls a skier, who can move left, right, or increase forward speed. The aim is to maneuver a skier through a downhill ski course, a slalom course, and a ski jumping competition in the shortest time...
piste
Piste
A piste is a marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports. The term is European, from the French for trail or track, synonymous with trail, slope, or groomed run in North America....
s (three green, three blue, two red and two black ones), as well as a special slope for sleighs, totalling seven kilometres of marked pistes. In the Summer of 2006, 18 new snow cannons were installed, adding up to a total of 73 cannons.
As for ski lift
Ski lift
The term ski lift generally refers to any transport device that carries skiers up a hill. A ski lift may fall into one of the following three main classes:-Lift systems and networks:...
s, there is one quad chair lift going from the resort base at 1.964 m, up to its highest point, at 2.252 m.; two platter lift
Platter lift
A platter lift , platter pull or button lift is a surface lift, a mechanized system for pulling skiers and snowboarders uphill, along the surface of the slope. In Europe they are also known as Poma lifts...
s serving the beginners' area; and one gondola lift
Gondola lift
A gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
(called "telecabina") granting access to the Pic de l'Àliga youth hostel.