Sant Feliu del Bac

Sant Feliu del Bac is a Romanesque church standing alone on a small hill in the municipality of la Vall de Bianya, in the Garrotxa comarca of Girona province. The building rises on the northern slope of the Malforat range, above the left bank of the Oix stream, set apart from the village itself amid meadows and woodland — a setting that explains why walkers tracking rural Romanesque heritage in Garrotxa tend to seek it out deliberately.

How old is the church, and what's the earliest record of it?

The oldest surviving reference to the parish of Sant Feliu del Bac goes back to the year 946, when a man named Froilà, executor of Goltred's will, handed over to the monastery of Sant Pere de Camprodon a plot of land bordering the Sant Feliu de Bac property. The church itself was consecrated in January 996, making it one of the earlier documented places of worship in this part of Garrotxa. The building visible today, however, dates to the 12th century, the result of a later rebuild in full Romanesque style; a sacristy was added afterward, altering the original east façade.

What does the church look like inside?

The layout follows the pattern typical of rural Romanesque churches in this area: a single nave under a barrel vault, divided by a pointed triumphal arch that splits the space into two roughly equal sections — nave and presbytery. The main entrance sits on the south side. The bell tower, meanwhile, is reached by an external stone staircase built against the north façade, a solution that kept the work of accessing it separate from the nave itself.

What have archaeological digs turned up here?

In 1996, excavations at the site uncovered a Romanesque altar slab and a rectangular baptismal font. These finds gave physical confirmation to a history previously known only from written sources, and they point to continuous religious use of the site from the medieval period onward.

Why add it to a route through la Vall de Bianya?

Sant Feliu del Bac isn't on a main road and won't be stumbled upon by accident — reaching it takes a deliberate detour. That's exactly its appeal for anyone chasing Romanesque architecture away from crowds: a stone church on a hilltop, the quiet of the Oix valley, and views over the surrounding hills of Garrotxa. For anyone interested in the region's history, it also serves as a useful marker of just how densely this part of Catalonia was already dotted with small parish churches by the 10th century, well before the valley's larger settlements took shape.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is Sant Feliu del Bac located? The church stands in the municipality of la Vall de Bianya, in the Garrotxa comarca (Girona province), on a rise above the Oix stream, set some distance from the village center.

How old is the church? The parish is first mentioned in a document from 946, and the church was consecrated in January 996. The building standing today, though, dates from a 12th-century rebuild.

What architectural style does it represent? It's a classic example of rural Romanesque from the Catalan Pyrenees foothills: a single nave with a barrel vault, a pointed triumphal arch separating the presbytery, a south-facing entrance, and a bell tower reached via an external staircase.

Has any archaeological work been done at the site? Yes — in 1996, excavations there uncovered a Romanesque altar slab and a rectangular baptismal font, confirming the site's medieval origins.