Pilgrims Complete Alt Urgell Stages of Camí de Sant Jaume Route

The Associació del Camí de Sant Jaume Segre-Cerdanya has completed its latest stages through the Alt Urgell region, marking the end of a multi-month journey along this historic pilgrimage route. Walkers recently visited the Capella de Sant Jaume de Graell in Oliana as one of the final cultural landmarks before moving into Bassella municipality.

Despite intense cold at the start and alternating clouds and clear skies, the group managed the full stretch from Oliana to Bassella. The chapel, perched at the foot of the Segre route, offers striking views of the rugged local mountains from its porch. Historical records note that the path once split here, with one branch leading toward Solsona, as referenced in the *goigs*—traditional devotional songs—composed by Antoni Fortuny with music by Jaume Prats and illustrations by Ramon Sala. First performed in 1989, the lyrics highlight its place on the Jacobea route: pilgrims sang of earthly marvels mirroring heavenly paths.

Sant Jaume de Graell stands as one of the last religious sites pilgrims encounter in this section. The chapel, listed in Catalonia's Architectural Heritage Inventory, shows signs of neglect inside, needing a thorough clean. It was restored after near-total ruin, when only the walls remained; the image of Sant Jaume el Major—a rare Catalan depiction of the saint as Matamoros—was then relocated there.

Association president Núria Boltà, focused on reviving and promoting the route, pointed out these details. Local lore, drawn from notes by the late Bonifaci Fortuny i Feliu—a Pallars native and heritage expert who passed away a year ago—describes two other nearby chapels dedicated to Sant Jaume el Menor near Oliana. Traces of one linked to Sant Jaume el Vell appear near Clot de les Moles, possibly among the area's earliest settlements. The Graell chapel, built later, hosted the traditional Sant Jaume Xic festival on May 1 and, more recently, a gathering on the Sunday closest to July 25. The Grup Excursionista d’Oliana also visits at Christmas to install a nativity scene.

Fortuny's research outlines the route starting at Coll de la Perxa, following the Segre through Cerdanya and Alt Urgell. At Oliana, it forked toward Solsona, Manresa, and Montserrat, or continued along the river to Lleida en route to Galicia. Written references place a Pilgrims' Hospital at the Portal de Solsona site.

The group, originally from Cerdanya but joined by Alt Urgell locals, followed wide forest tracks—sometimes overgrown but marked—to reach Mas Tapioles rural house and scattered farmsteads. The stage ended in Altès, Bassella, as walkers leave Alt Urgell for the Noguera region.