Located in the easternmost part of the Conca de Tremp (Tremp river basin), the municipality of Isona i Conca Dellà (el Pallars Jussà-Pyrenees) boasts a rich historical and natural heritage. Sixty-five million years ago, this area was inhabited by the last of the dinosaurs which have left behind numerous footprints, some of which can be visited. The presence of the Romans can be seen in the abundant remains of the former Romana settlement of Aeso (modern day Isona) and its area of influence. From the medieval period, there is a varied array of religious and military architecture, exemplified by the Church of Santa Maria de Covet and the Castle of Llordà, both of which date from the 11th century. The dramatic episode of the Spanish Civil War also left its mark on Isona i Conca Dellà through a series of military constructions including bunkers and trenches. Let’s take a look at the history of this small municipality!

Historic monuments

The Museu de la Conca Dellà

Manages the historical and natural heritage of the Conca Dellà. It is divided into three different sections: the lower floor houses a presentation about the Conca Dellà that emphasis its heritage elements. On the first floor, it is possible to see a series of objects that were recovered during archaeological excavations carried out at the site of the Roman settlement of Aeso. Finally, on the second floor, it is possible to see remains of the different types of dinosaur that lived in this area 65 million years ago.
The museum offers guided visits to see different elements of the heritage of the Conca Dellà.
www.parc-cretaci.com

Castle of Llordà

This palace residence, which dates from the 11th century, used to belong to Arnau Mir de Tost. It consists of two enclosures: the lower part, closed in by a wall that runs from cliff to cliff, contained the church and religious community and also what must have been the original settlement; the upper part, contained the castle, a noble building separating the highest point of the settlement from the quarters of the serving staff or troops on the lower level.

Church of Santa Maria de Covet

The (12th century) parish church of Santa Maria stands in the centre of the small village of Covet, which lies in the southern part of the municipality of Isona i Conca Dellà.
This building has a single nave and transept leading onto an apse and two absidal chapels, all of which are open with double splay windows.
The main façade has two towers with internal stairways that lead to a porched gallery that overlooks the nave.
The main door opens inwards, giving the impression to those approaching the centre of the building that they are getting closer to God and to the salvation of their souls.
This building contains one of the most exceptional series of Romanesque-style sculptures conserved in Catalonia and was declared a monument of national interest in 1921.

Natural spaces

The Estanys de Basturs (Basturs Pools).

Together with the Banyoles and Montcortès pools, these are some of the most important pools of karstic origin in Catalonia. At Basturs, the aquifer group consists of two circular pools, one of which is twice the size of the other. The high lime content of these waters has led to them being populated by plant and animal species that are not found in other aquatic spaces in Catalonia. Given their unique nature, they have been included on the official list of Places of Natural Interest in Catalonia.

Palaeontological site of La Posa.

This palaeontological site includes an enormous area corresponding to the top of a layer of potter’s clay which has conserved more than 2,000 round and oval-shaped depressions. As it had already been known for a long time that the whole Conca Dellà area was exceptionally rich in dinosaur remains, when this deposit was discovered, it was thought that the depressions probably corresponded to dinosaur footprints. However, the La Posa site presents a series of characteristics that caused doubts among palaeontologists and, for this reason, a much more detailed study was conducted which led to the original theory being questioned. It is now believed that the depressions that can be seen at this site could have been caused by the feeding activity of a group of fish such as rays.