Lleida, Spanish Pyrenees
Lleida - Overview:
Lleida in the Catalan Pyrenees is the capital of the province. It stands in the fertile river valley of the Segre. An excellent location for historic sightseeing, Lleida is home to many noteworthy buildings including 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.
Lleida, Pyrenees - Sightseeing:
Other historic 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 faade. 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 ambiience.
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.
