Gessa – Chapels, Churches and Hiking Trails

Gessa lies at the foot of Mount Corilha. The village is also situated along the Corilha stream.

Nature

At an elevation of 1,800 m stands the Sant Marti de Corilha chapel. For your itinerary planning, a hike from Gessa takes a little more than an hour to reach a hermitage; its destination is Sant Martí de Corilha. The hermitage is integrated into the rock on the mountainside. It lies at an elevation of approximately 1,800 m. At the entrance to Gessa, at the intersection with the path to Unha, there is a chapel. It is dedicated to the Mare de Déu de Montserrat.

The references to Corilha thus bring together the mountain, the stream, and the high-altitude place of worship, each with its own spatial relationship to Gessa. The hermitage and the chapel at the entrance to the village also represent two different forms of sacred architecture in the surrounding area.

Culture

The old Çò de Ròsa house stands in Gessa. It features a distinctive cylindrical stone tower made of stone. Coats of arms are carved into the tower. The year of construction, 1589, is inscribed on the lintel. Çò de Chelina preserves a coat of arms. The year 1575 is displayed on the shield.

Sant Pèir de Gessa has a freestanding square bell tower. The bell tower dates from the 17th century. Sant Pèir de Gessa has a Baroque altar. It preserves a Romanesque altar base. Sant Pèir de Gessa also has the foundation of a Romanesque chapel. The foundation dates from the 12th century.

Historic residential houses and sacred buildings thus stand side by side in Gessa. Coats of arms bearing the years 1589 and 1575 have been preserved on Çò de Ròsa and Çò de Chelina; Sant Pèir combines architectural elements and furnishings from several periods.

Festivals

The annual pilgrimage leads from Gessa to the Sant Martí de Corilha chapel. It takes place on the second Saturday in June. Gessa celebrates its patronal festival in honor of Sant Pere. The date is June 29.

Hiking

A route from Gessa passes by the Montromies hut. The Salardú–Unha–Gessa route follows the GR-211. It passes through Gessa as far as the upper part of the village. In Gessa, it leads to the Sant Pèir church. It also leads to the Çò de Ròsa manor house. Route 16 Ruta BTT makes it possible to visit Gessa. The visit includes Gessa’s churches and fortified houses.

The trails mentioned provide access to Gessa via various routes: the GR-211 connects Salardú, Unha, and the upper part of the village, while the Ruta BTT includes the village’s churches and fortified houses. Another route passes by the Montromies hut.

Trails

The Camin Reiau is a circular hiking route. It is 150 km long. It passes through 33 villages. These villages are located in the Val d’Aran. Gessa is included in the Camin Reiau route.

Those planning a stay in Gessa can incorporate the local buildings, pilgrimage dates, and the routes described into their personal travel plans. A holiday apartment in Gessa can be kept in mind as a possible accommodation option for the stay.

More destinations

If you would like to visit other places from the selection offered here in addition to Gessa, you can switch directly in a compact list to Guils del Cantó, Vielha, Esterri de Cardós, El Pont De Suert, Lloberola, Guixers, Alguaire and La Pobleta De Bellveí.

For the higher-level travel overview: Lleida.