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.
El castell-monestir d'Escornalbou a Riudecanyes és una peculiar mansió senyorial de principis del segle XX. Es va formar a partir de les restes de dos edificis medievals: el Monestir de Sant Miquel , fundat el 1153; i un castell , construït sobre les restes d'una fortalesa romana. El seu propietari, el diplomàtic, egiptòleg i filantrop Eduard Toda, va seguir la moda de l’època per convertir els edificis històrics en residències burgeses.
Durant més de sis segles, el complex va constituir la Baronia d'Escornalbou. Després de les desamortitzacions de Mendizábal (1835) va estar gairebé en ruïnes, fins a adquirir Toda el 1911. La restauració seguí una interpretació molt personal. Toda fins i tot va decidir ignorar les recomanacions i consells de Puig i Cadafalch. Així, es van enderrocar edificis, es van aixecar torres d’estil exòtic i medieval i es van convertir zones per satisfer les necessitats i gustos del propietari.
Els resultats encara són visibles avui: de l’ antic monestir , només es conserven l’església romànica, algunes restes de la Casa Capitular i l’estructura del claustre, que esdevingué un punt d’observació / jardí amb vistes al Camp de Tarragona. El castell va ser convertit en una casa senyorial i escenari de reunions de les figures més importants de la Renaixença catalana. Destaquen la biblioteca i la rica col·lecció d’estampes, ceràmiques, mobles i peces de la col·lecció que Toda havia recuperat dels seus viatges.
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.
Nature and Modernisme. This is the pairing that defines the Colònia Güell. Standing among the pine trees is an architectural complex that still preserves the industrial essence of the late 19th and early 20th century and has a star name:
Antoni Gaudí.
The colony was built in 1890 on land owned by Eusebi Güell at Santa Coloma de Cervello. The entrepreneur wanted to move the textile industries he owned at Vapor Vell Sants away from labour conflicts that were prevalent in Barcelona at that time.
The complex was structured around the factory, which was equipped with the most advanced technology of the time. As well as the homes of the workers, there were educational, cultural and religious facilities which together formed a "small town".
In addition, Eusebi Güell, a patron of Modernisme in Barcelona, made it unique by hiring some of the
best architects of the time. His friend
Antoni Gaudí led the project, taking charge of the mapping out the complex and of the Church, of which only the
crypt was built (declared a World Heritage Site in 2005). The remainder of the buildings (the school, the cooperative, the parish house and the cultural centre, among others) were the work of Joan Rubió, Francesc Berenguer i Mestres and his son Francesc Berenguer i Bellvehí.
The complex made a display of innovations in construction at the time such as the use of 'trencadís' (mosaics of ceramic shards), iron work and brick. Special attention should be given to the facades of the
teacher's house, Ca l’Espinal and
Ca l’Ordal, which show that, despite being functional architecture, no detail was overlooked.
El convent de Sant Bartomeu de Bellpuig ofereix un gran exemple de la transició del gòtic tardà al renaixement . Al mateix temps, ofereix una visió de com l'individu buscava la transcendència del seu poder i honor més enllà de la mort.
Ramon Folc de Cardona-Anglesola, baró de Bellpuig i virrei a Nàpols i Sicília, volia un escenari solemne per al seu mausoleu . Per això, el 1507, va patrocinar la construcció d’un convent franciscà a la part superior de l’antiga capella de Sant Bartomeu. D’aquí que, en la decoració, hi ha un notable contrast entre l’austeritat franciscana i la noble esplendor que aporta el mecenatge de la família.
L’edifici, de forma rectangular, s’organitza al voltant de dos claustres. Al més petit dels dos hi ha un element amb un gran valor artístic: la galeria del primer pis, formada per deu columnes en espiral. Cal destacar l'escala de cargol del campanar, l'escala principal, la sala capitular i el mirador del Duc (mirada del duc).
Tot i així, l’element més monumental va ser el mausoleu del baró de Bellpuig , inicialment allotjat dins de l’Església però que ara es pot veure a l’església parroquial. Va ser creat el 1524 a partir de marbre de carrara per l'escultor napolità Giovanni Merliano da Nola. Té l'estructura d'un arc triomfal i va acompanyat de motius al·legòrics en referència a la personalitat del difunt. Per la seva qualitat, és una de les millors obres renaixentistes de Catalunya.
An imposing building next the River Ebro is a testament from the 14th century to the history of Tortosa. The Cathedral of Santa Maria, together with the
Castle of La Suda and the
Royal Colleges, forms the most notable architectural complex in the city.
Standing on the same spot as had previously been a Roman forum, a mosque and a Romanesque cathedral, is the current Cathedral of Santa Maria, whose construction began in 1347 following the
classic Gothic style. Nevertheless, it includes later elements such as the Baroque façade completed in 1757.
Most notable is the
central nave and
cloister, with a major exhibition of carved gravestones, and the
chapel of La Mare de Déu de la Cinta, in the Baroque style.
At the same time, one cannot ignore the rich sculptural and pictorial heritage of the Cathedral of Tortosa, starting with the altarpiece of
Mare de Déu de l’Estrella (Virgin of the Star - 14th century) which presides over the main altar. Other Gothic altarpieces have occupied the walls of the Basilica such as the
Virgin of the Angels, by Pere Serra (currently in the MNAC), or that of the
Transfiguration, attributed to the workshop of Jaume Huguet.
The latter is one of the star exhibits of the
Cathedral Museum, which displays nearly
200 pieces of religious art accumulated over nine centuries. Here you can see paintings, sculptures, tapestries, objects in precious metals and a valuable collection of codices.
Manresa is inevitably associated with the stunning image of the Collegiate Basilica of Santa Maria at the top of the Puigcardener hill. Popularly known as La Seu, it is considered
one of the main Catalan Gothic buildings.
Its elevated location was, successively, the site of an Iberian settlement, a Roman fortress and a Romanesque church. The construction of the current building began in 1322 under the direction of the same architect as that of
Santa Maria del Mar, Berenguer de Montagut, and was completed at the end of the 15th century with the Gothic as the predominant style. However, after later alterations, we also find Baroque Renaissance elements or even neo-Gothic, as in the façade of the Baptistery.
The most notable elements of La Seu are the impressive
rose window of the western façade, the
bell tower and the
crypt with a large marble tabernacle and eight Baroque medallions. Laterally, it has two protruding towers: one, the Chapel of the Holy Sacrament; and the other the Baptistery, with an octagonal plan.
Inside, its pictorial collection stands out, notable among which is the
altarpiece of the Holy Spirit by Pere Serra, one of the most important works of Catalan painting of the 14th century.
Over the main façade of the building is the
Historical Museum of La Seu, opened in 1934, which exhibits a large display of works of sacred art.
Al segle X, una xarxa de torres de guaita va delimitar el comtat d’Osona, que després va estendre els seus dominis a Anoia i Segarra. De tots ells, la torre Manresana de Prats de Rei és la que ha resistit millor el pas del temps. Tant és així que també va ser una de les escenes de la Guerra de Successió espanyola.
Al seu voltant hi havia un castell medieval de frontera , del qual només resten els fonaments de les muralles i una sala. La Torre, reconstruïda al segle XII, és l’únic element del complex en bon estat que s’ha conservat.
I està molt ben reforçat. Construïda amb pedres de carreus, la torre Manresana està dividida en tres nivells i amb un gruix minvant de paret, que va des dels 215 cm a la base fins als 160 cm a la part superior. Una de les claus de la seva seguretat va ser que només es podia entrar per una porta situada a mig camí de la torre, a la qual s’accedia a través d’una escala elevada.
La terrassa, situada a 21 metres d'alçada , ofereix una àmplia panoràmica del comtat de l'Anoia. Per aquest motiu, el 1711 va ser l’escenari d’enfrontaments entre el bàndol austríac i els Borbons per controlar la zona de Calaf.
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.
