Sant Aniol d'Agulla, Romanesque church in Montagut i Oix, Spain
Sant Aniol d'Agulla is a small Romanesque church at the end of the Aguja valley, where the Llierca rises. Its single nave has a low barrel vault, extended westwards where the entrance door stands, and ends in a semicircular apse with lesenes and blind arches of Lombard style. A round window and a single-opening bell gable sit above the door, and a stone stair leads to a small courtyard.
Benedictine monks established this place in 859 after being displaced from their original monastery, which had been attacked. The building then developed over the centuries as an important place of faith in this mountain region.
The church is dedicated to Saint Aniol, a subdeacon from Smyrna who, according to legend, took refuge in the valley. Each Easter Monday, the Aplec dels Francesos brings people from Garrotxa and Vallespir to the church, a gathering described by Marià Vayreda in his novel La punyalada.
Access is via a stone staircase leading to a small courtyard where you can view the building. The surroundings are rural and sometimes windy, so comfortable footwear is recommended.
The crypt, called Cova de l'Abat, is a rock-cut chamber reached from inside the church or by an outside stair and ramp. Water seeping from its walls was credited with curing eye ailments, drawing pilgrims to this valley. A stone altar stands against the rock.
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