Església de Sant Climent de Pal, Romanesque church in Pal, La Massana, Andorra
Església de Sant Climent de Pal is a Romanesque church with a single east-facing nave in Pal, La Massana. Its square bell tower, built between the 11th and 12th centuries, has three levels of twin windows with Lombard bands. The current square apse replaced the original semicircular Romanesque apse in the 17th century.
The church is first documented in 1312, when Archbishop Galceran Sacosta visited it; it was the only church outside the six parishes he inspected in 1312 and 1314. The building itself is believed to date from the 11th or 12th centuries, and the town of Pal appears in records from 1112. It was restored in 1965.
The church is dedicated to Saint Clement, and its 1709 baroque altarpiece is still dedicated to the patron saint. Inside are two 12th-century baptismal fonts, one apparently reused to store oil, plus a 13th-century carving of Our Lady of Remedies venerated as Nuestra Señora de los Remedios.
The church stands in the village of Pal, in the parish of La Massana, and is reached by road rather than a remote hiking trail. It is accessible by guided visit arranged in advance; in July and August it usually opens mornings and afternoons, while the rest of the year it opens only during religious services.
The church stands in the village of Pal itself, not on a remote trail. Its bell tower, largely unchanged since it was built, is set apart in Andorra for its double twin windows, and the north side of the chapel and altar were cut into the rock because of the local terrain.
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