Village
Vielha e Mijaran is the capital of the Aran Valley, in the province of Lleida, and the head of the municipality formed in 1970 by the merger of several localities; its name means “old” in Aranese. It occupies a central position in the valley, at 974 metres above sea level, at the confluence of the river Garona with its tributary the río Negro, crossed by the road linking Lleida with France through the Viella tunnel. With 3691 inhabitants, it is home to more than a third of the valley's population and is its commercial centre. Its historic centre grew up on both sides of the río Negro and expanded northward in the 19th century. Next to the Garona stand the Romanesque hermitage of Santa María de Mijaran and the church of San Miguel, from the 11th to the 13th centuries. The late Gothic tower of General Martinhon is also preserved.
Monument
The Tor deth Generau Martinhon, also called Casa Santesmasses, is a fortified house of Gothic-Renaissance period built around 1610 on Carrer Major in Vielha, the capital of the Val d'Aran. It combines several building blocks joined together on a rectangular plan, with an octagonal tower, Renaissance windows with decorative mouldings, gun loops and a lookout element, a representative example of Aranese architecture of the early 17th century. It was declared an asset of national cultural interest in 1949 and, after a restoration in 1982-1983, has housed since 1984 the Musèu dera Val d'Aran, dedicated to the history, art, ethnography and ethnology of the valley, managed by the Conselh Generau dera Val d'Aran.
Activity
The Festa Major de Vielha, the Hèsta Major de Vila, is celebrated around September 8 with a solemn mass to the Mare de Déu de Mijaran and a procession from the church square.
Curiosity
Aranese is the Occitan variety native to the Aran Valley, official in Catalonia together with Catalan and Castilian. Its linguistic standard is set by the Institut d'Estudis Aranesos - Acadèmia Aranesa de la Llengua Occitana, based in Vielha, created in 2002 and under the Conselh Generau d'Aran, which recognised it as the linguistic authority for Aranese in 2008, a recognition confirmed in 2010 by the Law of l'occità, aranès a l'Aran. In January 2014 the Generalitat de Catalunya granted it the status of academy and linguistic authority, tasked with establishing and updating the standard for the Aranese variety of Occitan, in accordance with the principles of Loís Alibèrt's grammar.
Monument
Church of Vielha built in different phases between the 12th and 13th centuries, in a style transitional between Romanesque and Gothic, and dedicated to San Miguel. It formerly stood beside the town's medieval castle, of which no trace remains today, which is why its bell tower retains a fortified appearance. It has a single nave with side chapels reflecting several building phases: the three bays closest to the west façade, covered with a barrel vault reinforced by transverse arches, date from the 12th century; the bay before the presbytery corresponds to the 15th century, and the transept and chancel were built in 1730. It is included in the Inventory of Architectural Heritage of Catalonia and houses the Crist de Mijaran, a masterpiece of Pyrenean Romanesque sculpture.
Nature
At the head of the valley, at 1,465 metres above sea level, is the Artiga de Lin mountain refuge, reached by vehicle from Es Bòrdes along a mountain road of about ten kilometres. It is the point where those about to climb the Aneto make their first stop, its northern slope framing this glacial valley.
Curiosity
Some thirty Romanesque churches are scattered through the villages of the Val d'Aran, with their characteristic slate bell towers. Among the most notable are that of Sant Esteve de Betren, in Romanesque and Gothic style and considered one of the finest examples in the valley; that of Sant Pere d'Escunhau, from the 12th century; and that of Sant Miquèu, in Vielha, which preserves Romanesque and Gothic elements.
Activity
The Fira de Nadal de Vielha is set up from 20 to 24 December in the plaza de la Iglesia, with stalls of Aranese crafts and typical food products of the valley.
Monument
The Casa dera Vila de Vielha, or Era Crasta, is a rectangular building of two floors and an attic with dormer windows, raised in the early 19th century; two marble plaques on its façade commemorate its construction in 1829, under Fernando VII, and the visit of Alfonso XIII in 1924.
Curiosity
Mountain cuisine with Gascon roots, with Catalan influences in cured meats and stews. Its most emblematic dish is the olla aranesa, made with white beans, potatoes, noodles, vegetables, hen, black butifarra sausage and bones. Other traditional dishes are the sanganhèta, made from pig's or lamb's blood fried with garlic and parsley, and the farcellets de col, meatballs wrapped in cabbage leaf served with game dishes. Among the cured meats with denomination of origin, the chorizo, llonganissa, secallona and bolh stand out. For dessert, the crema aranesa, scented with vanilla and topped with whipped egg whites, and the orelletes. The local drink is Nódes water, and ratafia made from green walnuts.
Historical milestone
Jaime II confirmed in 1313 the body of customs and privileges of the valley set down in the Querimònia, which recognised tax exemptions and a government of its own articulated in the Conselh Generau. This text governed Aranese institutional life until the nineteenth century.
Historical milestone
The emparança agreement tied the valley to the Crown of Aragon in the twelfth century, after the dispute between the counts of Comminges and the Aragonese kings. The Aranese accepted royal protection in exchange for keeping their customs and their internal administration.
Historical milestone
The abolition of the Aranese privileges and the new provincial division liquidated the Conselh Generau in 1834 and integrated the valley into the province of Lérida. Aran lost five centuries of administration of its own and passed to the common regime of the State.
Historical milestone
Inaugurated in 1948 after two decades of works begun in the time of Alfonso XIII, the tunnel under the Vielha pass allowed access to the valley all year round. Its regular use became general in the sixties and transformed the Aranese economy.
Historical milestone
The law on the special regime of Aran, approved in 1990, re-established the Conselh Generau, constituted the following year with councillors elected by the terçons. It recovered competences of its own and declared the Aranese language official within the valley.
Food and drink
Cabbage leaves blanched and stuffed with minced meat, tied and stewed, one of the most characteristic winter dishes of Aranese cooking. They were prepared with the products of the pig from the domestic slaughter and are still served in the eating houses.