VALMANYA

Symbol of Catalan resistance during WW2, the village of Valmanya ( Great valley in Latin) on the CD 13 coming from Vinça, was totally destroyed by the Germans in August 1944, not long before the liberation, in reprisal against resistance fighters operating in the area . Villagers who were unable to flee to the safety of the mountains were machine gunned. From this ‘maquis’ stronghold, Captain Julien PANCHOT, later to be brutally tortured and killed, led brave resistance fighters who sheltered in the nearby mines of La Pinosa and set up the Sainte Jeanne escape route for refugees. The village was rebuilt but the ruins of the mines can still be seen in the vallée de LA RABAÇA, site of fabulous walks with superb views.

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