Murals, painting on wood, sculpture, textiles, clothing, documentary collections, metalwork, objects for the liturgy, etc. The current collection of the Museu Diocesà d'Urgell (Diocesan Museum of Urgell) is a reference point of sacred art in which the Beatus de Liébana particularly stands out, one of only two copies in Catalonia of the work that the Abbot Beat, from the Monastery of Liébana, wrote at the end of the 8th century, commenting on the Book of Revelation.
Curiously, the Museum grew out of a temporary exhibition that took place in 1957 with the pieces from the Cathedral Treasury. Such was the success of the exhibition that it was made permanent and the collection was expanded with pieces from throughout the diocese in the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque styles and from the 19th century. Among these acquisitions there are treasures such as the Papal Bull of Pope Sylvester II.
In 1969, the Church of la Pietat (annexed to the Cathedral of Santa Maria de la Seu d'Urgell) was adapted to house the Museum. This space brought its own works to the collection such as the Pieta altarpiece and the Dormition group, made by the sculptor Jeroni Xanxo.
One of the most significant works of the collection is El retaule dels Goigs de la Verge (The Altarpiece of the Joys of the Virgin), from Abella de la Conca. It is by Pere Serra and dates from the 14th Century. In addition to its artistic value, it has a history of white-collar theft behind it. It was stolen in 1972 and, after a long journey, was recovered six years later in New York.
Frederic Marès, in addition to being a sculptor, developed a passion for collecting from a very early age. Over a period of more than 80 years, he assembled a large number of works of art (particularly sculpture) and more than 50,000 objects. In 1944, he gave his collections to the city of Barcelona which exhibited the collection two years later at the Museu Frederic Marès (Frederic Marès Museum), located in the former Royal Palace of the Counts of Barcelona.
In the basement and on the first two floors the
collection of Hispanic sculpture from ancient times until the 19th century are concentrated . One of the jewels in the crown is
L’aparició de Jesús als seus deixebles al mar (The Appearance of Jesus to his Disciples at the Sea), attributed to the Master of Cabestany, a masterpiece of the Catalan Romanesque which came from the monastery of
Sant Pere de Rodes. Sculpture of the Spanish Renaissance and Baroque periods are also well represented. To a lesser extent, other artistic collections are on display (painting, metalwork, furniture and textiles).
Also displayed in the same building are the objects that Marès had collected: dolls, clocks, fans, pipes, playing cards, daguerreotypes, pharmacy jars, tin soldiers, etc. This area is known as the
Gabinet del col·leccionista, or the Collector’s cabinet (Marès called it the Sentimental Museum). The visitor can take a tour through 17 rooms, in which the thousands of curious and endearing objects have been brought together which reflect the life and customs of the past, especially from the 19th century.
Finally, those who wish to delve more deeply into the figure of Frederic Marès can visit the
study/library of the artist. This space has a set of sculptural works by Marès, which he himself chose to display to the public, as well as a number of personal items.
One of the most important
collections of Catalan Romanesque art in Catalonia can be seen in the Museu Diocesà i Comarcal de Solsona (The Diocesan and Regional Museum of Solsona), located in the Episcopal Palace. As well as making a stop in the medieval period, visitors can take a trip back through time: from the prehistoric era to the modern age.
Most notable in the extensive Romanesque room are the architectural elements that come from the
cloisters of the Cathedral of Santa Maria de Solsona: several capitals and an historiated column from the workshop of Master Gilabert de Tolosa.
Also outstanding is the
exhibition of Virgin and Child paintings from the 12th and 13th centuries and major examples of pre-Romanesque and Romanesque wall painting from the complexes of
Sant Quirze de Pedret and Sant Vicenç de Rus , the paintings on wooden panels from the side of the main altar of the Church of Sant Andreu de Sagàs, the Gothic pabel with the scene of the Last Supper of Santa Constance of Linyà and the altarpiece of Sant Jaume de Frontanyà.
The Diocesan Museum of Solsona was created in 1896 by Bishop Ramon Riu i Cabanes. The aim was the same as for those of the other ecclesiastical museums, such as the
Episcopal Museum of Vic, founded 5 years earlier: to preserve the heritage of the diocese and to
contribute to the national reconstruction launched by the Catalan Renaixença. All this wealth was endangered with the outbreak of the Spanish Civil war in 1936. For this reason, part of the collection was moved to Geneva and returned to Solsona after the war. The current Museum is the result of renovations carried out in the 1980s.
Given its privileged position, located on a hill in the mountains of the Serra Grossa and on the left bank of the Sénia river, Ulldecona is the perfect example of a frontier castle. During the Arab occupation, between the 8th and 11th centuries, it was an Andalusian fortification. With the conquest of the lands south of the Ebro by the Christians, it passed to the Montcada family of Tortosa in 1148, who gave it over to the Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, and it was transformed into a Christian Castle. A village grew up around it, thus being protected from Muslim attacks.
Currently, the fortified complex consists of three buildings - two towers and the old church - and remains of other demolished buildings, all surrounded by a perimeter wall. One of the most emblematic structures is the circular tower from the 12th century, which served as a watchtower. The upper terrace of this latter building, of which the battlements and embrasure have been preserved, offers unparallel views over the surrounding area. It is complemented by the square Keep Tower from the 13th century, which housed the stately rooms.
The Church is the most modern building within the enclosure, dating back to the 16th century. It may have replaced a primitive chapel located in the main tower of the Castle.
Although most visible structures relate to the Christian military fortification, the remains of the first Arabic Castle, such as the remnants of the wall topped by two watch towers, are still preserved today. Also within the enclosure, there are the walls of medieval dwellings and even the remains of an ancient Iberian settlement.
La fundació del Monestir o la Casa dels Cànons de Santa Maria de Vilabertran és un símbol del moviment de reforma de finals del segle XI que lluitava contra les imposicions de la noblesa en cites eclesiàstiques.
Amb aquesta postura, el clergue Pere Rigau pot reunir una comunitat de sacerdots que viuen a la casa annexa a l'Església de Santa Maria de Vilabertran. El 1080, el monestir, que segueix la regla de Sant Agustí, és fundar en terrenys donats per famílies de la zona. Avui és considerat una de les primeres comunitats d'oficines a Catalunya que, a més, va deixar el llegat als exemples més ben conservats d' arquitectura canònica medieval .
El complex arquitectònic, construït entre els segles XII i XIII, tenia un format inicial per a una claustre central que dona a les habitacions del monestir ia l’Església. L’església és l’element més destacable del complex, especialment la creu processional del seu interior, considerada la peça més gran d'obra eclesiàstica gòtica de Catalunya.
El posteriors és ampliar la casa canònica amb la capella funerària del Rocabertí (segle XIV), el palau abacial (segle XV) i el pati emmurallat (segle XVIII) que van portar els edificis exteriors dins del recinte.
In 887 Guifré el Pilós (Wilfred the Hairy) founded the monastery of Sant Joan de Ripoll which was later known as Sant Joan de les Abadesses. And, for nearly 60 years between the 9th and 10th centuries, it was the only female monastery in Catalonia.
The first abbess was the daughter of Wilfred the Hairy, Emma of Barcelona. This community of Benedictine nuns remained until 1017 when the nuns, accused of leading a life which was hardly exemplary, were expelled. Subsequently, the monastery was occupied by a male community of Augustinian canons until the 16th century and then went on to be ruled by the archpriest until the 19th century.
The monastic enclosure that we see today has undergone modifications over time. The original Romanesque church was renovated in the 12th century in the monumental architectural style of the models in South-West France and it was partly reconstructed after the 1428 earthquake. Inside, one cannot miss the Santíssim Misteri or Holy Mystery, the only preserved Romanesque sculpture in Catalonia that remains in situ.
Attached to the Church is the Gothic cloister (15th century) and the Chapel of Dolors (18th century), with the baroque cupola by the sculptor Jacint Morató. Also preserved is the old Abbey Palace, 14th-15th century, which today houses the Interpretation Centre of the Myth of Count Arnau as this legendary character was connected to the first community of nuns at the Abbey.
The monastery museum, open since 1975 in the old rectory, displays a collection of paintings, sculptures, textiles and metalwork from the 8th century until the 20th century, most of which was designed for liturgical worship.
Considered one of the main historical monuments of Tortosa, together with the
Cathedral and the
Royal Colleges, the Castle of Sant Joan, known as the Castle of La Suda, is a key witness to the
Andalusian past of the city. Also preserved here is the only
open air Islamic necropolis in Catalonia.
It was built in the 10th century under the
Caliphate of Abderraman III, on top of an ancient Roman Acropolis. Despite the height, a huge pit was excavated within the enclosure down to the level of the Ebre river to provide the fortress with water.
After the conquest of Tortosa by
Ramon Berenguer IV in 1148, the castle became a prison. It was owned by the House of Montcada and by the Templars and was the favourite residence of King Jaume I. In addition to being a Royal Palace, it has also been a Court of Justice. It currently houses a
parador de turisme.
In addition to the very important Muslim cemetery, the layout and the foundations of
the walls and the
well have also been preserved from the Islamic period. This consists of underground galleries which house a mill and two ovens.
The medieval legacy can be seen in some Gothic windows, the gunpowder store and the parade ground. However, it passed unnoticed as, in the 15th and 17th centuries; the Castle underwent many modifications for defensive reasons.
A 461 metres d'alçada, a la part alta de la serra de la Guàrdia, és fàcil imaginar l'impressionant Castell de Claramunt vigilant i protegit per la conca d' Adena .
Jo, tot i que necessito nombroses destruccions i reconstruccions, és fortalesa del segle X és un dels exemples principals de la xarxa de castells fronterers, que van marcar la línia entre el Comtat de Barcelona i Al-Andalus.
Encomanat dels seus inicis a la casa de Claramunt, el castell esdevenir el centre administratiu dels dominis feus de Cardona-Medinaceli entre els segles XIV i XIX. Tanmateix, no hi ha aletes serioses al segle XX que recupera la seva glòria amb la compra i restauració per part dels seus propis propietaris, la família Miquel .
Té l’estructura típica de castells del segle XII, amb dos recintes que ocupen més de 5.000 m2: el sobirà o recinte superior, amb la zona residencial, la Sala Gòtica i quatre torres, entre les que destaca la torre de conservació; l’altre, el recinte jussà o inferior, assigna els serveis del castell i l’actualització és un gran pati envoltat de muralles.
També es conserven les restes de l’ església romànica de Santa Maria , la primera parròquia de la Pobla de Claramunt.
This ancient Andalusian military encampment was the original centre of Balaguer and is an extraordinary archaeological site that allows us to learn about the Islamic past of the town.
Its origin dates back to the mid-8th century, during the occupation of the Iberian Peninsula by the Arabs and Berbers who had arrived in 711 AD. They built a military camp here which would be used as a "base of operations" for the expeditions of conquest that left along the Segre River towards Europe.
Over time, its military use gradually changed to civilian use until it became a town (medina), which experienced the height of its splendour in the 11th century thanks to the agricultural and livestock resources. Researchers have discovered the remains of the buildings characteristic of the Islamic cities of this era: Mosque, aljama or Jewish quarter, the stately castle (suda), residential area, squares, the potters’ district, etc. With the subsequent Christian conquest (1105 AD) and the expulsion of the Muslim population, Pla d’Almatà returned to the military and agricultural uses, being converted into fields of vineyards and olive groves.
Since 1983, excavations have been carried out which have uncovered the urban network of the old medina. Currently, in the area you can visit the Archaeological Park, where they have excavated and created a museum of four houses and a part of the street, and you can see the remains of the old wall from the 8th century and several storage silos.
Famous mainly for its impressive Romanesque cloister, the Monestir de Sant Cugat (Monastery of Sant Cugat), run by the Benedictine order, contains pre-Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance elements.
Constructed between the 9th and 14th centuries, the church features the classic basilica plan of three naves and three apses, which are based on the remains of a Roman castrum. The temple is characterised by the sobriety of the Romanesque period in the lack of decoration and low light, and the Gothic grandeur thanks to the thirteenth century dome: an eight-sided tower with large windows.
The prosperity of the twelfth century led to the construction of the first floor of the cloister, consisting of long galleries with arches that rest on pillars and several pairs of columns. However, the most eye-catching feature for visitors must be the 144 Romanesque capitals.
Made with stones from Montjuïc, they were carved between the late twelfth and thirteenth centuries and feature something completely unusual: the author's signature. As such, we know that the sculptor, Arnau Cadell, made a self-portrait on a Corinthian capital and wrote in Latin: "This is the image of Arnau Cadell, sculptor, who built this cloister for posterity".
