Cova Remígia

Useful Information

Location:	Barranc de la Gasulla. Starting point: Bar La Montalbana, Lugar Mas De La Montalbana, 0 S N, 12165 Ares del Maestrat. (40.418743, -0.122942)
Open:	Sat, Sun 11, 15:30. after appointment. [2022]
Fee:
Classification:	Painted Cave
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:	D=3 h.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Museo de la Valltorta, Pla de l'Om, s/n, 12179 Tírig, Tel: +34-964-336-010. E-mail: Cova Remígia, 12165 Ares del Maestrat, Castelló, Tel: +34-964-33-60-10. Alt Maestrat, Plaça de l’Ajuntament, 1, 12160 Benassal, Castellón, Tel: +34-964-442-004. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1917	first painted caves discovered in Valltorta by Albert Rueda: Cova dels Cavalls, del Civil, mas d'en Josep and La Saltadora.
1934	Cova Remigia and El Cingle discovered in La Gassulla.
1998	inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
11-NOV-2016	Generalitat Valenciana declared the Valltorta-Gassulla Cultural Park of Cultural Interest.

Description

The Cova Remígia is an outstanding painted cave located in the Barranc de la Gasulla. It has more than 750 figures in a good state of preservation. The paintings were discovered by a shepherd at the beginning of the 20th century. Most drawings show hunting scenes, but there are also depictions of goats, wild boars, bulls and deer in different poses. Typical scenes show animals hurt by arrows, animals leaving paw prints, showing their horns, climbing up a rock, running, or waiting.

The scene of a hurt bull is chasing an archer is quite impressive. However, there are other interpretations of the scene, some think it's a person wounded by some arrows. Such complex scenes are quite difficult to interpret. Some scenes show a couple having sex, others are interpreted as initiation rites. The most disturbing scene is thought to be the execution of a person by a group of archers.

The whole area of the gorge and caves was declared a park named Parque Cultural de la Valltorta-Gasulla (Valltorta-Gasulla Cultural Park) in 2016. It also includes the painted caves 15 km to the east which belong to the town Tírig. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List entry for southern Spain cave paintings.