Patrimoni cultural | Cultural Heritage. Goverment of Catalonia.

Patrimoni cultural

La Vall de Boí, the ultimate expression of the Romanesque style

During the 11th  and 12th centuries, a set of churches were built in the Vall de Boí following a model from northern Italy: the Lombard Romanesque. Slender bell towers, careful stone work, decorated exteriors with blind arcades and Lombard bands... This unity of architectural style has characterised these temples and this year marks twenty-five years since they were recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
 
The Romanesque complex of the Vall de Boi is made up of the churches of Sant Climent and Santa Maria de Taull, Sant Joan de Boí, Santa Eulàlia d’Erill la Vall, Sant Feliu de Barruera, la Nativitat de Durro, Santa Maria de Cardet, Assumpció de Cóll and the hermitage of Sant Quirc de Durro.
 
The church of Sant Climent de Taüll is perhaps one of the best known as it has the image of Christ in Majesty of Taüll which has made it renowned and has been used to represent the Catalan Romanesque. Although the original now stands in the National Museum of Art of Catalonia (MNAC), you can still see a section of the deep layer of the original in the temple along with other fragments of original painting, a highlight being the scene of Cain and Abel, as well as an image recreation of what the apse was like in the 12th century.
 
Out of these churches, Santa Maria de Cardet has one of the most spectacular apses of the set. It’s also the only one with a belfry, a result of the baroque transformations that it underwent over time.
 
For a truly immersive experience and to travel back in time, visiting the Romanesque Centre of Vall de Boí, in Erill la Vall, is a real must. Thanks to the virtual reality experience The eyes of history, you can delve into the art and history of these temples while also discovering the nature, religion and medieval society that shaped this exceptional heritage.
 
You can round off your visit with hiking trails that frame art in the nature that hosts it. There are routes that run along historical paths and connect the villages in the valley, even some abandoned ones, allowing you to enjoy the beauty of the landscape all year round. And after all that walking, there’s nothing better than relaxing in the Caldes de Boí Balneari Thermal Resort. Located at an altitude of 1470 metres, it has 37 thermal springs.


A proposal brought to you in collaboration with Descobrir magazine. 


Figueres, a city that looks beyond Dalí

The capital of the Alt Empordà is known worldwide as the place where Salvador Dalí was born and died. The family home of this genius from the Empordà can be found here, a space that unveils the artist’s life trajectory, but also the Dalí Theatre-Museum, his own creation which allows visitors to grasp his artistic career through his works.
 
Beyond its connections with Dali, Figueres stands out as the main economic, cultural and commercial centre of the Empordà, and that’s why it’s well worth taking a stroll there. Its Rambla dates back to 1828, when the River Galligants was covered. Years later, many families of the local bourgeoisie built their houses there, in different architectural styles, such as Casa Puig Soler, Casa Cusí or Casa Caselles. 
 
This artery of the city also features different sculptures that honour prominent figures from Figueres. The city’s first monument paid homage to Narcís Monturiol, who invented the submarine. It was inaugurated in 1918 and can be found on the lower part of the Rambla. Frederic Marès is the artist behind the monuments dedicated to King James I —who declared Figueres a royal city and granted it the town charter— and his chronicler, Ramon Muntaner, also located on the Rambla. The monument honouring Pep Ventura, however, promoted by the Foment de la Sardana entity, was erected in the Presidente Tarradellas square.
 
It’s also worth visiting the El Jardí Municipal Theatre, located in the building that was known as the Cine Teatro Jardí at the beginning of the 20TH century and was the most important performance hall in Figueres until the sixties, or the old prison, an eclectic-style building which opened in 1917 and served as a prison until 2014. It’s now an area for economic and social promotion. To continue your journey back through the city’s past, the Casino Menestral Figuerenc is a must. It fills almost a whole block of houses and stands out due to its playful asymmetric shapes.
 
The San Fernando Castle is the most extensive monument in Catalonia and the largest walled fortress in Europe. Along with the Arcos aqueduct, it’s one of the most notable elements of heritage in the city. To round off your trip, it’s well worth visiting the Museum of the Empordà, the cultural driving force of the region, and the Toy Museum of Catalonia, which exhibits over 4,000 pieces from far and near and from all eras related to the world of games.
 

A proposal brought to you in collaboration with Descobrir magazine. 
English translation unavailable for Activitats especials a museus i jaciments per la Setmana de la Ciència.
English translation unavailable for Comença l’Any Gaudí per commemorar el centenari de la mort de l’arquitecte .
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The memory of industrial colonies along the Ter

Throughout the 19th century, on the banks of the rivers Ter and Llobregat, different factories were set up which used the power of water to operate their machinery. In some cases, these factories offered housing for their workers along with other services such as schools and shops, which were part of the so-called industrial colonies.
 
We propose a route to visit some of the most emblematic colonies along the Ter as it passes through Osona. Our journey starts at the El Ter Museum, in Manlleu. Inaugurated in 2004, it explains the industrial and natural heritage of the middle river basin. It reveals historical aspects of the industrialisation process as well as the more social side to industrial life. The two turbines on show also make it possible to truly understand the mechanical system of the factory. The El Ter Museum is part of the territorial system of the National Museum of Science and Technology of Catalonia (MNACTEC).
 
Also in Manlleu, we find the origins of Colonia Rusiñol, formerly Can Remisa and residence of the painter and writer Santiago Rusiñol, which date back to 1845 when Josep Dulcet bought the land to build it. Cotton yarn was produced there until 2009 and it was the last colony in the middle part of the Ter to close. The El Ter Museum organises guided tours through the gardens and inside the buildings on the first Sunday of every month.
 
Colonia Imbern or El Pelut, in Orís, is one of the most unique of its kind in the middle section of the Ter. Dating from 1859, the gardens are a real highlight, designed by Rubió and Tudurí, as well as the modernist-style buildings, which were built using shaped river stone.
 
In Sant Vicenç de Torelló, we can reminisce about the past of two leading colonies. Opened in 1882, Colonia Vila-Seca was the first in the municipality. It consists of the factory, workers’ houses, church, inn, school and gardens. The historic homes are now privately owned. Colonia Borgonyà is the other well-known one, made operational in 1895 by J&P Coats, from Scotland. In 1903, they merged with Fabra, industrialists from Barcelona. The houses are currently inhabited by former workers, the factory buildings are occupied by several companies and the service facilities are owned by the Sant Vicenç de Torelló City Council. You can visit the colony on the third Sunday of each month through the El Ter Museum.

A proposal brought to you in collaboration with Descobrir magazine.
English translation unavailable for Portes obertes als museus, monuments i jaciments per la Diada Nacional de Catalunya.

Escaladei and Escornalbou, a journey back in time

Sheltered by the Serra de Montsant and surrounded by silence and nature, the Escaladei chapterhouse in the Priorat is the oldest Carthusian monastery on the peninsula and currently the only one accessible to the public in Catalonia. Its foundation dates back to 1194, after a concession by Alfonso the Chaste to establish a settlement in newly conquered lands.
 
Last year, the renovation and roofing works of the old monastery church were concluded, which was left in ruins after the abandonment, plunder and destruction it suffered following the ecclesiastical confiscation of 1835. The architectural rehabilitation project was completed this year with the new museography inaugurated by the site, fully integrated, and with the immersive virtual reality experience The eyes of history, which transports the visitor back to the 17TH century through the voice and life experience of the creator of the church decoration, Joaquim Juncosa. The experience also allows visitors to find out more about the monks’ daily life thanks to the audiovisual installation Eternal silence, in the Chapterhouse for the Fathers.
 
A short distance away, the monastery castle of Escornalbou, in the Baix Camp, is another patrimonial element that has been handed down to the territory from the past. This monastery was supposedly built on a Saracen fortress, which was later rebuilt as the private residence of Eduard Toda. The diplomat and Egyptologist bought the monastery of Sant Miquel de Escornalbou in 1907 when he returned from his travels through China, Egypt, Sardinia and northern Europe, and made it his home, a meeting point for the main figures of the Renaissance.
 
Works are currently being completed to adapt the monastery castle, now converted into a museum house and exhibiting the legacy of Toda, such as his extensive library and samples of the collections he gathered during his travels. The visit includes a walk around the church, the chapterhouse and the cloister, which he turned into a garden offering one of the best views of the regions of Tarragona.
 
If you choose to visit these spaces as a family, it’s worth preparing for your visit by listening to Si les parets parlessin (If the walls could talk), the podcast that tells the curious stories of several monuments in the territory –among them, Escaladei and Escornalbou– and that gives a voice to characters from the past.