The church of San Félix de Barruera is located in the town of the same name, which serves as the head of the Boí Valley, in the Alta Ribagorza region, in the province of Lérida. This temple, dedicated to Saint Felix (Sant Feliu, in Catalan), is one of the outstanding examples of Lombard Romanesque architecture in the valley, and is part of the group of Catalan Romanesque churches of the Boí Valley, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000.

Unlike other churches in the valley located within the historic centers, San Félix is slightly removed from the old center of the village, to the southeast, in the area known as les Gavarreres. Today, a modern road separates the church from the center of the village, marking a contrast between the Romanesque past and the urban present.

The origins of the temple date back to the 11th century. The first documentary mentions appear in indirect sources related to the monastery of Lavaix, especially in deeds from the years 1072 and 1103, which allude to endowments or properties linked to the church. It was not until the 14th century that there were direct and continuous references, which show the central role of the church in the religious and community life of the valley.

During the late Middle Ages and the Modern Age, San Felix appears frequently in local documentation, in relation to a peculiar ecclesiastical organization typical of the valley: the system of co-rectors. This model established that only priests born in the valley could aspire to exercise parochial functions, after their candidacy had been presented by the local councils to the bishop. There could be several co-rectors at the same time, all sharing equally in the ecclesiastical revenues. If there were no candidates from the valley, the councils hired external vicars, who did not enjoy the same rights. The function of parish priest fell to one of the co-rectors, who took turns annually in the pastoral office, thus reinforcing the community dimension of religious life.

The church of San Felix was built in the 11th century, although it has undergone multiple interventions over time. In the 1970s a comprehensive restoration was undertaken with the aim of returning the building to its original configuration: the sacristy added on the north side was demolished, the Romanesque chevet hidden by later alterations was freed, the roofs were modified, a chapel on the south side was removed, the roof of the southern apse was rebuilt, the façade was repainted and the bell tower was consolidated.

In terms of its architecture, the church has a single nave covered by a barrel vault slightly perpendicular, divided into three sections. The presbytery is defined by a double triumphal arch, supported by corbels instead of pillars. The main apse, facing east, is semicircular and decorated with the characteristic Lombard motifs: groups of blind arches separated by lesenes. In its body there are three windows of double spill. The south apse, incorporated shortly after the original construction, has a plain exterior design and two single-spill windows. In front of it, a transept section was built, with the intention of configuring a Latin cross plan, although the north arm was never fully developed. What is preserved today on that side is a modern chapel, which bears no structural or stylistic relation to the original complex.

Some studies have suggested that the initial design of the church may have been more ambitious, following the model of the temples of Taüll or Boí. However, for unknown reasons, the project remained unfinished or was profoundly altered over the centuries, resulting in an irregular and partially transformed floor plan.

The bell tower is located in the southwest corner of the church. Unlike the tall Lombard towers of Erill la Vall or Taüll, this is a simpler and more compact bell tower, with a square floor plan and three levels. Its decoration is limited to horizontal moldings that mark the different floors. In the two upper bodies there are semicircular windows, one per façade, which allow the sound of the bells to escape.

The main entrance is located on the west façade, protected by an open porch. This opens to the south and west by means of semicircular arches, while the north side remains closed due to the unevenness of the terrain. The Romanesque door has a semicircular structure, framed by two molded ribs and an upper molding that acts as a dust cap. Although it is Romanesque, some constructive elements suggest that this door may have been originally located elsewhere in the building, or that the exterior floor level was modified in some later renovation. It should be remembered that, in the Romanesque tradition, the preferred access to the temples used to be oriented towards noon.

Overall, the church of San Félix de Barruera is a valuable example of Pyrenean Romanesque architecture, both for its sober architecture and for its integration into the ecclesiastical and social structure of the valley. Although modified over time, it maintains fundamental elements of its original design and preserves its function as a parish church, integrating past and present in the same space.