The cathedral of Vic is a compendium of styles that span from the pre-Romanesque crypt to the neoclassical façade, passing to a Gothic cloister and a Baroque chapel.

To discover the “hidden” Romanesque it is necessary that we move along to the left of the building to find one of the two constructions of the 11^th century: the bell tower and the crypt. Both come from the ancient pre-Romanesque cathedral reformed by the Abbot Oliba, grandson of Guifré el Pelós (Wilfred the Hairy) and promoter of numerous buildings (the monasteries of Ripoll and Cuixà, amongst others).

The bell tower of the cathedral of Vic is a good example of Romanesque Lombard architecture in Catalan lands. Consisting of square floor, it is made with small and regular ashlar blocks. It measures eight meters in length and its six floors and 46 meters in height display a solid and svelte construction for the time.

The architectural ornamentation is a compendium of the Romanesque Lombard style: blind arches, pilasters and saw tooth friezes adorn the different floors of the bell tower. The windows increase in size and number as the tower gains height. The loopholes on the first floor, we pass the bifocal openings of the fourth floor and trifocal openings of the two upper floors.

The other Romanesque element that we find “hidden” within the building: the crypt, just below the presbytery, with pre-Romanesque capitals from the ancient church of Santa Maria. The crypt consists of three naves covered by ridge vaults. Eight cylindrical columns support the vaults and we know that the capitals that crown the vaults are the most ancient of the entire cathedral.
Its decoration is simple, based upon floral motifs, and is strongly influenced by Califate art. The crypt was untouched in the 18^th century and was discovered once again in 1943 thanks to the excavations by Eduard Junyent.

The cathedral of Vic is part of the ‘Romanesque weekend: from Barcelona to Vic’ getaway.




Authors of the photographs: Mutari, Bocachet and Vilaró Health.