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 Lleida
Lleida in the Catalan Pyrenees is the capital of the province
of the same name. It stands in the fertile river valley of
the Segre. New avenues with modern buildings encircle the original
centre full of sights.
On a hill in the centre of the city,
there are the old Seo (cathedral) and the ruins of La Zuda,
the palace of the kings of Aragon. Both are officially protected
as sights of national importance and are reminiscent of the
long history of the capital.
Other noteworthy sights include
the new cathedral, a Neo-classical building full of grandeur,
the churches of Sant Lloren, Sant Marti and La Sang: La
Paheria or City Hall; the walls of Lleida castle; the old Sant
Maria
Hospital, a huge Gothic building which houses the museum
of the Institute for Lleida Studies, a museum with valuable
collections:
and the Diocesan Museum. In front of the entrance gate
to the bridge there is a sight which is closely related to
the
history
of the capital: the monument to Indibil and Mandonio, Iberian
heroes of he fight against Rome.
In the province many places deserve to be mentioned because
of their important sights: Balaguer on the banks of the Segre,
which is crossed by a bridge with seven arches looks beautiful
with Santa Marta's at the top, which was begun in 1351. Other
important sights include the Convent of Santo Domingo, El Salvador's
and the castle of the Counts. Also of interest is the large,
arcaded El Mercadal Square. Cervera, capital of the region
of La Segarra, has the building of the old university, which
is very large and has a lovely Baroque portal, and the Romanesque-Gothic
Parish Church of Sant Maria. Also remarkable are the Town Hall,
the Romanesque Church of Sant Pere Gros with its circular ground
plan and the Gothic ruins of Santa Magdalena.
Cervera has a
museum with excellent examples of Iberian and Roman ceramics,
Gothic panels and imagery. In the same region there is Borjes
Blanques next to the Urgel canal, surrounded by fruit trees,
olive groves and almond trees. Between the Segre and the
Cardener lies Solsona facing the Sierra of Cadi. It has been
an Episcopal
see since 1593 and its most outstanding sight is the Cathedral
of Santa Maria, which has a Romanesque apse and a Baroque
façade.
The Diocesan Museum is interesting. Nearby there are the Sanctuary
of El Miracle with a magnificent Baroque main retable and the
village of Olius.
La Seu d'Urgell is the most important town in the north of
the Province of Lleida because of its long history and its
sights. It lies at the point where the rivers Valira and Segre
converge. its most interesting sight is the cathedral, a lovely
Romanesque building of the 11C and 12C. Also outstanding are
the Churches of Sant Miquel and La Sagrada Familia, the 15C
Casa de la Ciudad and the Diocesan Museum. The Romanesque area
of La Seu d'Urgell is a welcoming place and gives this old
town a special air.
This northern part of Lleida, the one which really belongs
to the Pyrenees, has exceptionally beautiful scenery as well
as interesting places and skiing centres, such as Viella, capital
of Aran valley, Sort, Esteri d'Aneu, Salardu, etc., with interesting
Romanesque churches. worthy of special mention are the Romanesque
churches of Taull, Erill la Vall and Boi in Boi valley.
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