THROUGH THE MEDIEVAL ART ROADS: ROMANESQUE AND GHOTHIC

 

Santa María de Cervera

Itinerary 1. Cervera: Medieval city. The medieval past of Cervera is the first thing we can only think about, when we observe, coming from Barcelone or Tàrrega, the silhouette of the bell tower from the parochial of Santa Maria de Cervera, one of the most remarkable Ghotic temples in Catalonia and where some glassworks and Ghotic sarcophagus are preserved. The medieval Cervera goes past the passage of Les Bruixes (the witches) and past the outskirts with thw singular Romanesque church of Sant Pere el Gros.

 

Sant Jaume de Pallerols

Itinerary 2.  Ribera d’Ondara – Santa Coloma de Queralt. In Ribera d’Ondara from where it followed the old highroad joining Barcelone and the Lleida lands, we can find many Romanesque architecture exemples related to Santiago road in Catalonia, like the nice small church of St. Jaume de Pallarols. After going to Talavera – from where we cannot miss the panoramic view – the visit to St. Coloma de Queralt will submerge us to a magnificient lowmedeval passing in this county village, ancient capital of  saffron market.

 

Gospí

Itinerary 3. From Sedó to Sant Ramon and two valleys route. We find good exemples of Romanesque art in this itinerary. From Sant Julià de El Llor church or the small church of Castellmeià, following to Gospí and Estaràs. In the county towns of Sant Guim de Freixenet and Les Olugues there are also interesting exemples – Freixenet, Montfalcó – returning to Sedó through Malgrat.

 

Agramunt

Itinerary 4. Ribera del Sió de Sedó a Agramunt. This route is specially intense because of the big quantity of Romanesque art we can find in Ribera del Sió – Concabella, Pelagalls, Bellver de Siö, Ossó de Sió, Castellnou d’Ossó – reaching the magnificient parochial of Agramunt with the best Romanesque main front in the lands of Lleida and one of the most notable in Catalonia. We can come back passing by the Almenara Tower, La Guàrdia, Vilagrassa (which is a good exemple of  main front from Lleida school), Tàrrega and Riudovelles.

 

Colegiata de San Pedro de Ponts

Itinerary 5. The Romanesque in the Plain of Guissona and from Ponts to Sanaüja. This is an itinerary of small Romanesque churches surrounding Guissona – Priorat de Teuladells, Gra, Les Sitges – and giong to Ponts passing by Vila-Major. In Ponts we need to make the collegiate curch stand out, which has been splendidly restored, and the Gualter monastry two kilometres away. From Ponts to Sanaüja we will visit the Romanesque in Vilanova de l’Aguda valley and the castle and the church of Ribelles.

 

Santa María del Solà (Lloberola)

Itinerary 6. The medieval art in Llobregós valley. In this route we find wonderful Romanesque art exemples, from Biosca – Santa Maria del Castell, Sant Pelegrí -, Lloberola – Ghotic Sarcophagus of the ancient cemetery, Santa Maria de l’Aguda, the little coenobium of Sant Celdoni and Ermenter de Cellers... – up to Santa Maria de Catellfollit de Riubregós, returming through Ivorra, where we find the Ghotic reliquary of  Sant Dubte.

 

Antiguo cenobio de Vallsanta

Itinerary 7. Cistercian order route in Urgell. This route leads us from Tàrrega – see of the missing Pedregal monastry – up to Vallbona de les Monges, passing by the ancient coenobium of Vallsanta, in Guimerà and visiting at the same time the medieval art exemples in the Corb valley, from Guimerà to the small churches of El Vilet or Maldà, arriving at the wonderful monastry of Vallbona, where the queen Violant of Hungary, wife of Jaume the first the conqueror, lies.

 

Campanario gótico de Vilagrassa

Itinerary 8. Ghotic churches of Urgell. This itinerary will lead us from Tàrrega to Sant Martí de Maldà, from where we will follow up to Belianes and its parrochial of the 16th century, Bellpuig – convent of Sant Bertomeu and parrochial – Linyola and its parrochial church, Castellserà – Ghotic parrochial and ancient "panera", the tithe house of Poblet monastry. Our last points coming back to Tàrrega will be the parrochial of Anglesola and Vilagrassa, where the Ghotic bell tower, which is curiously inclined, is a wonderful complement to the Romamesque main front of the church.